A licensed sweetcorn trader on Manchester's Market Street has spoken out after being secretly filmed and posted on TikTok, saying some people treat him as if he is illegal despite having all the proper paperwork.
Danny, 29, who came to the UK from Pakistan to study for a master's degree, runs sweetcorn and chocolate strawberry carts on the busy city centre street. He is also president of the Market Street traders WhatsApp group.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Danny said: "We have all our licences from the council everything, the council have been here and checked three times, we have a five-star hygiene rating."
Growing trend of secret filming
Danny said someone wearing glasses with a small camera inside recorded him and put the video on TikTok. He was not aware his stall was being filmed during the encounter and said he felt upset at how the video was captured.
The incident is part of a growing trend of footage being shared online about spots in Manchester such as Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens. When a reporter visited on a grey Thursday afternoon, at least four different stalls were selling sweetcorn in various flavours.
Danny employs more than 20 people who work part-time hours on various days of the week at the stalls. He worries social media influencers are turning public opinion against businesses working on Market Street.
Abuse and a petition
"People are coming and thinking we are illegal, they behave like we are illegal, even we are being attacked," Danny said. "I'm running one stall, all my family depend on this stall, and not just one family, we support two or three other families.
"If we earn £100 a day that's a lot of money for us, but people are making movies about us and shouting at us, while others are coming to enjoy the corn. Yesterday someone came and was shouting abuse at us, harassing us, telling us to go away from here, and he hit the sweetcorn cart."
A petition has now been launched calling for a review of public space management on Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens. It raises concerns around 'amplified sound' and 'public preaching' as well as 'Gazebos, stalls, displays, and other temporary structures that reduce pedestrian space'.
