About 50 vendors from Tumnup market in the capital’s Russey Keo district protested outside the municipal court yesterday, demanding the release of two of their representatives, who had been arrested on Tuesday for “interrupting” business at the market.

Vendors had been unhappy with the market’s new manager – the New Rich company – which took over on October 22 and began charging vendors between $50 and $120 per month to run their stalls, compared with the $35 per month they paid previously.

The two representatives were demonstrating against the company when they were arrested. Their supporters vowed to keep protesting until the duo is released. “They had done nothing wrong,” said Tan Darith, one of the vendors.

Two women were lightly injured during a scuffle between vendors and people from the company yesterday.

Mony Rothanak, a New Rich representative, maintained that only a handful of vendors were unhappy, and that there was a “mastermind” behind the protests. Police said the duo had been summoned to court but failed to show up, prompting their arrest.