13:00, 20 December 2012

In Zugdidi, traders block street demanding to allow street trading

On December 19, in the Georgian city of Zugdidi, street vendors blocked the road in front of the Central Marketplace. Later, they tried to do the same in front of the House of Justice, but the police demanded the free the roadway.

On November 19, traders also held an action in Zugdidi demanding to allow the street trade. Then, the authorities had promised not to prohibit street trading till the New Year, the "Medianews" reports.

In the morning on December 19, according to traders, the police did not allow them to trade in the territory adjacent to the marketplace. "We were promised that we'd be allowed to trace in the street until January 1. We demand to follow the promise," said one of the protesters.

However, the municipality is not going to do it, as the street trade is prohibited by the law, Tengiz Shanava, the spokesman of the authorities Zugdidi, said in response. According to his story, most of the protesters have their places in the marketplace; and they can go back and trade there, the "Georgia Online" reports.