After four-hour blockade, Alameda street vendors reopen Juárez Avenue but reject relocation rules

Street vendors from Alameda Central blocked Mexico City’s Juárez Avenue for four hours to protest new rules governing commerce in the park and a proposed reduction in selling space.

The Mazahuas Indígenas de la Alameda Central organization closed pedestrian crossings at Juárez Avenue and Eje Central using tarps and tents. Signs displayed messages including “freedom to pursue a profession or trade” and cited Article 123’s recognition of the right to work and its labor protections.

The Secretariat of Citizen Security deployed officers around the park, particularly at entrances near the Palace of Fine Arts. The blockade ended at 2 p.m., allowing traffic to resume in the area.

A visit to the park found no street vendors in the interior, including along the walkways and around the fountains. However, the mercaditas collectives set up merchandise on blankets at the corner of Ángela Peralta Street and on the sidewalk beside Juárez Avenue.

On Aug. 27, local Government Secretary César Cravioto said work continued on reorganizing street commerce at the site through the Undersecretariat for Borough Programs and Public-Space Reorganization.