Canal Street illegal vendors resurface in Manhattan

Illegal vendors have returned to a four-block stretch of Canal Street in lower Manhattan, selling counterfeit luxury goods including designer handbags, watches, and sunglasses. The vendors have occupied much of the sidewalk from Centre Street to Broadway, leaving only a narrow path for pedestrians.

During recent activity, a New York Post reporter was involved in a confrontation when a vendor struck a phone out of her hand while she was filming the scene. Although the vendor was cited for harassment, police noted that the incident did not meet the legal threshold for an assault charge. Law enforcement officials have described efforts to clear the area as a ‘whack-a-mole’ situation due to the persistent nature of the illegal vending.