Hundreds of street vendors gathered in Union Square on Thursday to demand action on a City Council legislative package dubbed the “Street Vendor Reform Platform.”

“We suffer from fear,” said Guadalupe Sosa, a street vendor.

The package includes better access to legal permits, a reduction in criminal liability for traders, services and support for the street trading community, and a reform of parking regulations that make it difficult for traders to carry out their activities.

Sosa’s mother started the family snow cone business over 20 years ago.

“Our problem is that if you don’t have a license, you get a ticket, but there is no place to get one,” Sosa said.

Organizers said street vendors from all five boroughs attended the rally and about 800 people applied for a license. Some people have waited decades for a license.

Sosa said she has been waiting for a quarter-century for legal approval from the city and has to stop selling on many days just to avoid getting tickets.

“I haven’t gotten any tickets because if they tell me the police are here, I’d rather leave than get caught,” Sosa said.

Mohammed Attia worked as a street vendor for ten years and is now the executive director of the Street Vendor Project.

“The street vending system has existed for decades and essentially criminalizes street vendors, making it difficult for them to work and do business,” Attia said.

In 2021, the City Council passed a law that would provide nearly 4,500 new food vendor permits to be distributed over a 10-year period. Vendor representatives say fewer than 130 of the nearly 900 new permits had been received as of May.

A City Hall spokesperson issued a statement saying, “Our goal is to balance the needs of retailers, brick-and-mortar businesses and everyday New Yorkers by removing unsafe and obstructive items from our sidewalks while keeping our neighborhoods clean and accessible to all.”

Sosa knows the city has also increased enforcement of existing regulations, but remains hopeful.

“That we are recognized as small businesses because we are small businesses,” Sosa said.

All bills were introduced in February, but must still pass committee before they can be presented to the full City Council for a vote.