In July 2015, street hawkers in China dumped heaps of watermelons onto the street and smashed them in protest of law-enforcement actions, including licence cancellations and increased regulatory pressure on small vendors. The public act was aimed directly at authorities and large-scale retailers perceived to be given preferential treatment. Photographs and video footage showed the vendors hurling melons into the street and smashing them as a visible symbol of frustration over their economic conditions and treatment.