robbery on a grand scale

There is a situation here in Lima. At the major market in Santa Anita, huge quantities of fruits and vegetables are sold to distributors throughout Peru. Three weeks ago, the vendors decided to take over the market and the property, in spite of the fact that they don't own it. They moved their families, children in particular, into the area to live in the stalls so that the police would not use any rough means of removing them from the premises. The owner has been trying to talk with them, but they are unwilling to cooperate in any way. The matter went to court last week and whether or not the police were allowed to enter the property and remove the squatters was dependent upon the decision of one particular judge. It took this judge a week to issue his decision. This morning the police entered the market to remove the trespassers using whatever means was necessary. I haven't heard yet what is happening. I saw a line of police entering the market bearing their clubs and riot shields. A policeman was on the loud speaker asking the people to leave the property without resistance, to avoid injury to the children. No one was going at the time that I turned off the TV.

I guess I might be able to sympathize with the invaders, if they had not allowed the cocaine traffickers to enter and support them in this. I guess I would be able to sympathize with them if they had been open to negotiation or some kind of dialogue. But they simply decided that they wanted to wrench the property from the man who spent his own money to buy and develop the property. I can't understand this. It goes back to the idea that thieves wait until they think they can take what someone else has worked and sweated for because it is just easier to take from others rather than work for it themselves.