A City Council committee recently gave initial approval to a bill that bans vending on an area of a downtown city street here, much to the dismay of area vendors.
Councilman Frank DiCicco, who represents the area and is chairman of the Licenses and Inspections Committee that heard the bill, told the Philadelphia Daily News that L&I inspectors had received complaints about the public display of pornography on the sidewalk.
Muhammed Shaukat, owner of a newsstand that displays several adult magazines, said in the report that he has been at the downtown location for about eight months.
The report went on to say that after inspectors told Shaukat to move his stand, DiCicco said, "He posted a sign saying that he would rape and kill anyone who interfered with the operation of his newsstand."
Shaukat responded, "I'm not bothering anybody. Everybody sells those magazines."
Shaukat, in an interview, also said he was angry when he scribbled the sign and posted it, and told the Philadelphia Daily News that he regretted what he'd done and would never commit any violent act.
