Street vendors who set up shop outside Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in San Jose are again being warned that they may be ordered to pack up.
A similar issue arose several years ago, with the vendors ultimately getting the green light to stay, but now they say police are pushing to have them removed again.
Taqueria Los Pericos is one of a few food vendors that sets up in front of the church during the week. Ignacia Rueda said she and her fellow vendors come out to make ends meet so they can pay for rent and food. But during the last two weekends, vendors said they were met by San Jose police officers telling them that they were in violation of city codes and would have to comply or ship out.
A paper warning obtained by NBC Bay Area said one vendor did not have a valid peddler’s business permit and was blocking or obstructing pedestrians or traffic.
Rueda said vendors are feeling harassed. Even though she showed NBC Bay Area her state license and city business license, police told her she is lacking the peddler’s permit.
San Jose police would not address the issue with NBC Bay Area on camera. They did say they were responding to community complaints.
The diocese said neither it nor the parish had anything to do with the complaints, a claim some vendors question.
San Jose Councilman Peter Ortiz has stepped in as a mediator.
“I am of the position that we should be educating and empowering our vendors and not targeting them or criminalizing them,” he said.
Ortiz said he asked for a pause in police enforcement while his office sets up a town hall between all parties involved. There, staff will walk vendors through the permitting process.
Vendors said they’re just trying to make a living in front of a holy place that’s supposed to be welcoming to all.