Eviction doesn't worry Glodok sidewalk vendors<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The recent series of evictions executed by the Jakarta
\nadministration has given rise to little other than a \"well,
\nwhatever\" type of response among \"regular evictees\".<\/p>\n
Dozens of sidewalk vendors in the Glodok market, who erect
\ntheir stalls at the sides of the market, which comes under the
\njurisdiction of the West Jakarta administration, were seen
\noffering their wares to passers-by as usual on Monday despite the
\npresence of a number of security officers.<\/p>\n
Rusmi, 40, has been a street vendor in the area for some 12
\nyears and claimed to be familiar with the \"kinds of eviction\"
\nperformed there.<\/p>\n
\"I've heard of an eviction plan but it's nothing new for me.
\nThey evict us every year, usually after the Idul Fitri holidays,
\nbut things always get back to normal again. It's an old story,\"
\nRusmi said.<\/p>\n
But no eviction has taken place over the last two weeks.<\/p>\n
Rusmi added that usually after getting evicted, she would wait
\nfor other vendors to resume trading before she did.<\/p>\n
\"It's just in case there's a second eviction within a couple
\nof days. I would lose many goods should the officers seize them,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Bernard, a vendor of pirated video compact discs (VCDs) and
\nmusic CDs, had a similar view about the evictions of street
\nvendors in the area, despite the fact that he has only been there
\nfor three months.<\/p>\n
\"I heard rumors that we were going to be evicted the other day
\nbut I don't know. As you can see, I'm still selling my goods here
\ntoday,\" said the 22-year-old, while dusting off the trays
\ndisplaying his CDs.<\/p>\n
He said that although his friends were talking about the plan,
\nthey told him to be calm as news of evictions normally leaked
\nout.<\/p>\n
\"So we can pack up our wares and we don't lose too much. And
\nmy friends also said that we'd be able to start trading again
\nafter a few days,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Both Rusmi and Bernard, however, were luckier than the vendors
\nwho had their stalls on the other side of the road, which comes
\nunder the jurisdiction of the Central Jakarta administration, who
\nwere evicted after Idul Fitri two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
\"The vendors over there were evicted and as you can see it's
\nclear now. I don't know where they moved because it's already
\ncrowded here,\" said Rusmi.<\/p>\n
A gubernatorial decree issued in 1996 says that the monthly
\nrental charge per square meter in the market is Rp 52,500
\n(US$6.2). Both Rusmi and Bernard admitted that they could not
\nafford to rent space within the market and therefore hoped they
\nwould not be evicted.<\/p>\n
\"It's not that I don't want to have a stall in the market, but
\nI'm just a small-scale vendor. In fact, I'm grateful that I can
\nafford to buy food every day,\" said Rusmi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eviction-doesnt-worry-glodok-sidewalk-vendors-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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