Maulina Sartika Pravitasari, Jakarta – Some 100 vendors staged a peaceful protest Thursday at South Jakarta's Blok M shopping area, in opposition to the opening of a nearby Carrefour supermarket Friday.

The vendors, who operate on side streets or inside traditional markets near the new store, said the presence of the French-owned supermarket giant posed a serious threat to their livelihood.

"Carrefour is a mass murderer of Indonesian vendors," read one banner unfurled outside the marketing office of Blok M Square, a new luxury mall housing the supermarket. Other protesters waved flags in yellow, the traditional color of death.

The protesters exhorted Blok M authorities to consider the fate of vendors, claiming they have been operating in the area since 1970.

Staff members from the marketing office came out to meet the protesters, but did not offer any statement, nor did the Carrefour management.

Thus far, there has been no indication the vendors will be expelled from the area, though some feared they would soon have to move out.

"What about our future? What about our families?" asked 44-year-old Jumli, a protester. "We are demanding a permanent site at Blok M," he added.

The protest seemed well organized, with vendors donning light blue sweatshirts and distributing announcements for a larger demonstration planned for Friday, which will involve environmental and human rights NGOs such as Walhi, Kontras and LBH Jakarta, a legal aid office.

The vendors' opposition to the Carrefour is based on a 2002 bylaw that states private supermarkets or hypermarkets cannot be built within 2.5 km of a traditional market.

The city administration has violated its own rules in allowing Carrefour to open a new location in Blok M, protesters said.