Vendors gathered at the Opa-locka Flea Market on Friday, demanding more time to move out and sell their merchandise before the market closes down for good.
"They way they kick us out is not fair. It’s very unfair," said vendor Marguerith Occilus.
Occilus was shocked when she got a notice from management on Saturday that their lease with the owners expires June 30.
The letter also states vendors have until June 20 to pack up and leave. And anything left behind gets thrown out.
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Vendors say that’s too soon.
"They don’t give us like any time to sell what we brought to sell," Occulis said. "They don’t give us time to find another location to relocate it."
Dozens protested on Friday, demanding management give them six months to move out — instead of just a few weeks.
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Hundreds of vendors work at the flea market, which has been in the community for 40 years.
NBC 6 reached out to management for comment but haven’t gotten a response.
"I’ve been in this location 14 years," one vendor said. "It was hard. I’ve been collecting those merchandise for years, plus I don’t have a place to put it, so I throw it in the garbage."
Some vendors have hired lawyers and plan to take the issue before city leaders.
