A group of Oakland street vendors are suing the city, alleging that recent enforcement operations illegally destroyed their property and that officials have withheld public records regarding the crackdown.

The lawsuit, supported by local advocates, claims the city’s enforcement tactics have gone too far and may violate California law, which limits actions against street vendors to objective health and safety concerns. Advocates say both permitted and unpermitted vendors have been targeted.

The allegations stem in part from a May 1 enforcement operation in downtown Oakland. Video provided by the vendors appears to show a city trash compactor destroying a vendor’s equipment.

“People are already living hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck, vending opportunity to vending opportunity,” street vendor Needa Bee said. “To have a working-class family have their entire livelihood destroyed — people are now not able to pay rent, they are not able to pay bills.”

In addition to property damage claims, the lawsuit accuses the city of failing to turn over public records detailing its vendor enforcement policies and the process by which property is allegedly seized and destroyed.

Vendors also point to a separate incident last Friday at Lake Merritt, where they say a woman’s property and car were confiscated following her arrest.

Oakland police stated the woman was arrested during an undercover operation for allegedly selling alcohol to a minor and lacking proper permits. Her car was relocated and towed because it had 75 outstanding parking violations, according to the police department.

While some permitted vendors acknowledged the legitimacy of that specific arrest, they expressed fear over the broader enforcement climate.

“We knew that they did have a right to arrest her because of that, but I don’t want that to be a reflection of all the street vendors in Oakland, because we are trying to do something good,” permitted street vendor Adrian Hancock said.

Vendor Yashay Nok added that having a permit does not always feel like a safeguard.

“Even though we do have our permit, you never know,” Nok said. “Like I said, our stuff got damaged and we didn’t have anything to do with it. We don’t know what could happen.”

Bee argued that the city needs to change its approach to the vending community.

“The city needs to be working with street vendors like we are partners and culture keepers of this really important part of Oakland’s culture, and that they stop treating us like we are criminals and problems,” Bee said.

City officials maintain that street vendors must follow local rules, which include obtaining proper permits, meeting health requirements, and ensuring streets and sidewalks are not blocked.

City Councilmember Noel Gallo said his district has received numerous complaints about safety issues related to vending. He noted that vendors are typically warned before the city takes action.

“We are not taking their property and destroying it,” Gallo said. “All we are asking for is to adhere to the laws we have in Oakland.”

City Councilmember Ken Houston agreed that enforcement is necessary but emphasized that the city should assist those attempting to comply with local ordinances.

“Now that this has happened, I’m going to talk to the vendors and say, hey, let’s have a meeting on how you do it the right way, how you go through the process,” Houston said.
Official Response from the City

In response to the current situation, Sean Maher, Citywide Communications & Engagement Director for the City Administrator’s Office, provided the following update regarding the city’s policies and ongoing vendor support initiatives:

“Food vending regulations and permits in Oakland and throughout Alameda County are managed by the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health. The City of Oakland supports the County in enforcement activity when food safety issues are identified, and the two agencies collaborate in responding to complaints. The City of Oakland issues fire and mobile vending permits.

The City of Oakland continues to provide language-diverse education and navigation support for outdoor vendors. After a post-pandemic reduction in force, the City is now reinvesting in field education teams that pair education with enforcement activities that are unsafe or unregistered for the outdoor vending community.

Oakland’s diverse outdoor vendor community is a vital part of our city’s vibrant streets and parks, and we want entrepreneurs to succeed and provide services and goods safely and responsibly.

The City is currently expanding our language-inclusive education and registration efforts to ensure all vendors to serve their communities in a safe and compliant manner. For example, this summer the City is organizing a free drop-in clinic for all outdoor vendors, bringing together City and County departments that review and approve vending activities. This event makes it easier for vendors to access services and register their permits with multiple agencies all in one place, and at the same time. The event is August 13, 2pm-6pm at the Henry J. Kaiser Center — details are available here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/Event-Calendar/Outdoor-Vendor-Support-Clinic.

Here are some resources, including information in multiple languages: https://www.oaklandca.gov/Business/Business-Taxes-Licenses-Permits/Mobile-Vending-Permit

The City holds open office hours in City Hall, Suite 123, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9-12pm and 1pm-3pm for questions and application assistance. These office hours will be briefly suspended the week of July 20 and will resume July 27.”