North Hollywood swap meet vendors hold protest in effort to keep marketplace open
Store owners said they face a $600 penalty if they don't leave by the end of the month.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Vendors at the North Hollywood Swap Meet are fighting to keep it open and are expected to deliver a petition Tuesday to Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian.
The group of demonstrators marched in front of the entrance to the indoor marketplace on Monday night.
They've been protesting and pleading for help since receiving a notice to vacate the facility by the end of the month.
The swap meet is home to approximately 100 businesses, some of which have been there for 30 years or more.
"Customers have been here since little kids," Iver Cano, a vendor at the swap meet of more than 25 years, told ABC7 last week. "The swap meet, I believe, has been open for over 30 years, so this swap meet has a lot of history."
The swap meet is located in the district represented by Krekorian, who released the following statement last week:
"The Councilmember would prefer to see this business continue at its present location, but regrettably, the operator of the swap meet is not interested in renewing his lease. This is a contractual matter between private parties, a matter over which the City of Los Angeles has no direct authority. If the operator of the swap meet finds another location to do business in the 2nd Council District, this office will be happy to expedite the licensing and permit process."
Store owners said they face a $600 penalty if they don't leave by the end of the month. They said they want an extension of at least three to six months.
