Female street vendor confronts urban management officers on the car roof for two days and nights, solving eating and drinking on the spot

A 35-year-old woman from Hunan province, Li Meixiang, spent two days and nights on top of a city management vehicle in protest until several journalists arrived yesterday morning. She was then carried off the vehicle by her husband. As she was being taken down, Li Meixiang cried out loudly, January 5, 2012.

Zhong Cansheng told Southern Metropolis Daily that this action was indeed excessive, "If you say I violated public security regulations, I will go to the police station with you and stay for 15 days. But I still want my sunflower seeds back." Yesterday afternoon, Zhong Cansheng helped Li Meixiang go to the hospital as she felt she had a cold and her stomach was uncomfortable. As for the confiscated sunflower seeds, "Let's talk about it after we see the doctor," said Zhong Cansheng.

Well-meaning citizens brought blankets

Southern Metropolis Daily later saw the charge receipts provided by Zhong Cansheng. All were 5-yuan denomination receipts, totaling 300 yuan in a thick stack. The receipts showed charges for temporary land rental and sanitation fees at Guangming Market. Handwritten notes also specified "night market sanitation fee" for a certain month and year, with the financial seal of Qiaoxin Company stamped on them.

Regarding the payment issue, Captain Wu Kechi of the North Team told Southern Metropolis Daily that Li Meixiang did indeed pay the fee, "but it was for sanitation, specifically night market sanitation fees." The charging entity is Qiaoxin Company, which manages the area where Li Meixiang sold goods. This fee is solely for night market sanitation and does not serve as permission to sell goods at any time.

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Law enforcement team: Sanitation fees are not a basis for selling goods

Some nearby residents who followed the incident said that Li Meixiang and the law enforcement team were deadlocked. The urban management officers couldn't forcibly remove her, nor could they return her sunflower seeds, otherwise the law enforcement team would lose all credibility in the future.

■ Response

Unhappy about the confiscation of her sunflower seeds, the female vendor climbed onto the roof of the urban management enforcement vehicle to resist for two days and nights, solving all her eating, drinking, and personal hygiene needs on the roof. This woman has been selling goods at Guangming for six years, paying 300 yuan per month for night market sanitation fees, and has previously experienced climbing on urban management vehicles. Relevant departments expressed "indeed helpless," and stated that the sanitation fee is collected by the company responsible for market management, and does not imply agreement with unauthorized daytime vending.

The day before, Zhong Cansheng threw her a bottle of mineral water, which Li Meixiang poured directly over her head. She said the intention was "to keep her mind clear." Zhong Cansheng said that Li Meixiang has a strong personality and has always had a manly character since childhood. In her hometown, her four sisters relied on her "protection," and anyone who bullied them would be confronted by Li Meixiang.

The female vendor confronts the law enforcement team on their vehicle roof. The female vendor's husband brings a ladder. Being carried down by her husband, the female vendor cries out loudly.

Regarding Li Meixiang's actions, the law enforcement team expressed helplessness. Li Meixiang said from the roof that unless her sunflower seeds were returned, she wouldn't come down. After a day and night of standoff, the previous day, the law enforcement team confiscated all her goods. Wu Kechi stated that on the afternoon of the 20th, only part of her sunflower seeds were confiscated, with the aim of preventing her from selling goods indiscriminately in that area. However, Li Meixiang made unreasonable demands, equivalent to openly challenging them, "Not only can we not agree, but we can only legally eliminate her disorderly vending behavior and confiscate her belongings."

According to Li Meixiang and her husband, the head of the law enforcement team, and on-site witnesses, on the afternoon of the 20th, the North Team of the Guangming Office Enforcement Team was clearing unlicensed vendors in the area. They initially asked the unlicensed vendors to leave, but Li Meixiang ignored them, citing that she had paid the fee. Subsequently, the law enforcement team confiscated the sunflower seeds Li Meixiang was selling. According to Li Meixiang, a total of 33 basins of sunflower seeds, weighing four or five hundred catties, were confiscated. Li Meixiang immediately climbed onto the roof of the law enforcement vehicle, demanding the return of the confiscated sunflower seeds.

Goods confiscated

It was understood that Li Meixiang had previously climbed onto the roof of an urban management enforcement vehicle in protest and even climbed onto the roof of the enforcement team building threatening to jump. Before descending from the roof yesterday, Li Meixiang went to the office of the enforcement team, where some enforcement officers quickly locked the stairs leading to the roof. During the standoff, local police arrived at the scene and also found themselves unable to intervene effectively.

Crying continuously when coming down

Li Meixiang stayed on top of the law enforcement vehicle for over 40 hours. During this time, she handled all her eating, drinking, and personal hygiene needs on the roof. Citizens gradually gathered to watch, expressing surprise and uncertainty about when she would come down. Some well-meaning citizens brought blankets and clothing to keep her warm at night. Before descending, Li Meixiang changed her clothes publicly on the roof, leaving only her bra unchanged.

Wu Kechi indicated that in managing small vendors, they have actually always approached from a humane perspective, not strictly enforcing rules on sections of road that won't significantly impact traffic or social order. "But definitely not allowing random vending, everyone is not easy, we appropriately loosen a bit, it's humane enforcement." However, regarding how to resolve such deadlocks created by individuals like Li Meixiang, Wu Kechi shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.

The incident occurred in front of a supermarket in Guangming, a place where local small vendors concentrated their stalls. On regular days, there is a lot of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and the roads are narrow. During peak times, small vendors and motorcycles crowd the roads, significantly impacting traffic. Li Meixiang has been selling here for six years, mainly selling sunflower seeds, along with sugarcane and watermelon occasionally. Her husband, Zhong Cansheng, introduced that for six years, they paid 300 yuan each month for sanitation fees.