Several soldiers from Michel Camp on Tuesday morning clashed with hawkers in Ashaiman, near Tema. The hawkers had earlier resisted attempts by city guards to eject them from pavements in the municipality. They however returned to the pavements following reports that the Presidency has directed the suspension of ongoing decongestion exercises in the region. The traders were met on arrival by fully armed soldiers who allegedly assaulted some of the traders. The military men were brought in by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly. An eye witness told of a woman who was given severe lashes and a young man who was manhandled while he was being pulled away. The witness also said several many traders were severely beaten and several others arrested. The traders would not leave the street because they want to make profit on their wares selling during the peak Christmas season. Another eye witness said people ran helter-skelter when the soldiers started the alleged assault. But an assembly member who spoke to Joy News on condition of anonymity blamed the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly for the chaotic situation. She accused the assembly of being selective in the allocation of sheds in the new market being built to accommodate the hawkers. Joy News/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana