Just days after Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said it was up to police to do something about the illegal pot market thriving on Robson Square, vendors say they were shut down by police.
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Vendors say the incident took place Sunday night.
“About 10 police cars came in here to Robson Street, almost like gang task force,” said Ron Woodruff, a vendor who says he was just a bystander when the arrests took place.
“They just came in one big large group and surrounded all the tents and basically arrested every single vendor that was at every tent.”
He said police arrested a few bystanders.
Vancouver police refused to comment Monday on any arrests, and said it would be providing an update on its action at the market in the next several days.
However, Sgt. Jason Robillard said from the police perspective, the situation on the ground has changed.
“We have got a lot of complaints. It is something that we have been monitoring and involved in for over a year now, and what we’ve seen is that it has escalated down there. Aside from public complaining, our own personal observations as a police department — it has gotten out of control.”
WATCH: Robson Street pot vendors raising concerns
Woodruff was back at Robson Square the day after police took action, saying he is selling as an act of defiance.
“The arrests have to stop, the ‘cannaphobia’ has to stop,” said Perry, one of the market vendors who also decided to only share his first name. “Not one person has ever died from cannabis, not one person has ever been harmed from cannabis, it’s medicine.”
Following very vocal complaints against the market, Robertson told Global News last Friday he was expecting police action “very soon.”
According to one of the vendors, the market has been operating for over a year and a half.
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Although the federal government is expected to legalize marijuana on July 18, the sale and consumption of recreational marijuana remains illegal.
~With files from Jesse Ferreras