Cape Town - Traders in the Cape Town CBD had to hastily pack up their goods on Wednesday as Samwu protesters allegedly threatened to steal their wares.
"These people just ran past and started grabbing our stuff," one trader said.
Others hastily tossed their stock into crates and out of reach. "Barbarians! The whole lot of them!" he fumed.
Bins were tossed near the Adderley Street flower market as protesters made their way to the Civic Centre to deliver a memorandum demanding higher wages and better benefits for workers.
Protesters were seen kicking the litter strewn along the closed road as they ran past.
Union members said the City should have warned traders to "stay at home, because these are the people's streets".
They were also demanding the mayor "leave her coffee and biscuits" to come and sign their memorandum.
"We don't want any Tom and Jerrys come do it," they shouted.