Half of Amsterdam's red-light windows close
End of an era ; How will these poor women now support their families ????????????????????????????
Most of the prostitutes are from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia
The Continent's most open red-light district, which sprawls over Amsterdam's entire historic canal district, will be reduced to two main streets under a dramatic downsizing plan drawn up by Job Cohen, the city's mayor.
Mr Cohen, who is also closing a fifth of the city's cannabis cafés and a number of sex clubs, denies that his clean-up means an end to the permissiveness that draws in thousands of tourists, many from Britain, every year.
He says that he wants Amsterdam to become better known for its art, chamber music and museums rather than as a hotspot for sex and drugs. There are currently more than 400 of the distinctive neon-lit prostitute windows from where scantily clad women beckon passers-by and about 70 “coffee shops” selling ready-rolled cannabis joints.
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A report drawn up for him by Karina Schaapman, a former prostitute and a member of the city council, described a police file of 80 violent pimps, of whom only three were Dutch-born. She said that more than three quarters of the city's 8,000 to 11,000 prostitutes were from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.
The conclusion was unavoidable for Mr Cohen — international organised criminals were taking over. “Prostitution is legalised in the Netherlands and that is OK,” the mayor said. “In the last few years we have also seen a lot of women-trafficking and women forced to be prostitutes against their will, and therefore we want to have more control.
The prostitutes' union, the Red Thread, has accused Mr Cohen of using a crackdown on criminal activity as an excuse to close the windows and reverse years of tolerance. It has been drawn up at the same time as the Government is taking a tougher line on soft drugs, banning the sale of magic mushrooms and forcing the closure of all coffee shops near schools, as the Netherlands rethinks its anything-goes attitudes.
The union argues that the prostitute windows are much safer because women can deal with clients directly without having to rely on pimps.
But Mr Cohen said the research showed that pimps were still active: “It is not that we want to get rid of our red-light district. We want to reduce it. Things have become unbalanced and if we do not act we will never regain control. At the heart of this project is our desire to drive back criminality and make the city welcoming for everyone.”
I like Amsterdam. Even the airport has a massage parlour.
i've been to Amsterdam last month. The whole area is getting revamped with trendy restaurants, concept boutiques & even small art book shops.
Don't worry :)
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Edifis, as long as you don't mistake me for one of the chinese tarts around megamart, you'll live.
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Don't want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
Yep, Brit you are right about the Tarts. Tarts are definitely good at the F****** Arts. And Doha is lacking in this kind of arts. And not even the Art museum can compensate that.
But I read somewhere that Megamart sells some tarts. But these are chinese tarts.May be fake.
The red light sistrict used to be in one samll are only. De Walletjes. It used to be such safe place to walk in when I was young. Very discreet too.I walked thru there a couple of years ago and could not believe what I was seeing. And that was during daylight. It had become seedy and cheap.Dangerous and not at all a pleasant place. I am happy they decided to downsize as it became an area too big to be controlled etc. For all of you, dont worry about it not being available anymore....it is legalized and the ladies of the evening even have their own Union!
The same goes for the coffeeshops. They are closing the ones near the schools....
Aisha-Taweela
I'm reading the same article in a paper in Canada at the moment and it has more to do with cutting down on the number of pimps and human trafficking then depriving women of work. Right now the red light district is too big and hard to handle so they are cutting it down to better control it.
when r v here going to get the saMe...!!! send them all here..lol..
Heyy! I haven't had the chance to visit the coffeeshops there yet! :0( .. I heard they are weally weally different from MY.
/The Dutch are gonna be pissed... but as with everything in life, people will kick up a fuss and then settle in with the new rules if the Mayor sticks to his guns. Hope so.
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Don't want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
I think he was misunderstood.. He actually said "Tarts"
The mayor wants the city to be better known for its art. But isn't soliciting for ones self an art too?
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Will the women doing business there be rehabilitated to some other cities within the country?Because if they are not it is human rights violation.