R$ 800 in weekend sales from instant photos at Joinville's Zoobotanical ended when a security guard told photographer Thayna Renata she could not keep working there.
Thayna, who left a formal job paying about R$ 1,500 a month, posted an emotional video from the park; it spread widely and turned her case into a local debate over independent work in public spaces.
R$ 20-to-R$ 25 Polaroid-style photos had quickly become a viable business for her, with one day alone bringing in R$ 400—far above her previous fixed monthly income on a per-day basis.
Joinville City Hall said there is no specific rule for street vending inside the environmentally protected park, and any future authorization would need broader regulation rather than an individual permit.
The case highlights a wider Brazilian tension: self-employed workers are moving into parks and sidewalks faster than local bureaucracy can define how those businesses should be licensed.