The owners of the sidewalks did at no time tell their managers to sell them. Therefore, the managers have made a basic and grave error for which they should be removed from their position because of this gross misjudgement shows they cannot be trusted to carry out the duties assigned them by the people. We're talking about selling off public space to private corporations to use to enhance their own greed. We're talking about the sidewalks only being used by people who are willing to pay money to use them. This is not what government is for.
Government is to protect the weak for the strong.
Where it takes the public's space and sells it to business for their business activity, government is helping the strong take advantage of the weak. In the US, the sidewalks are supposed to belong to the people. ALL the people. Not just the people who wish to pay for over-priced, watered down coffee in sidewalk cafes. This is what has happened.