Hawkers protest evacuation

Tue, 23 Sep 1997 | Source: AFP

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): More than 500 hawkers staged a picket in a slum market area in Kuala Lumpur, protesting forced evacuation under plans to clean-up the capital for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

The hawkers, mostly ethnic Malays, took to the streets carrying banners reading "The mayor is crazy for power", "Corporates are protected, hawkers are betrayed", "The city council is cruel" and "Honk for support".

Most of their shops at the market bazaar in the Chow Kit area were closed and pasted with posters carrying similar messages, slamming the Kuala Lumpur city council for the evacuation plan.

Police were trying to control the situation as traffic was brought to a standstill.

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