Amsterdam To Close Many Of Its Brothels, Marijuana Cafes, Sex Shops

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close brothels, sex shops and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.

The city is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including gambling parlors, and the so-called "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly. Also targeted are peep shows, massage parlors and souvenir shops used by drug dealers for money-laundering.

"I think that the new reality will be more in line with our image as a tolerant and crazy place, rather than a free zone for criminals" said Lodewijk Asscher, a city council member and one of the main proponents of the plan.

The news comes just one day after Amsterdam's mayor said he would search for loopholes in new rules laid down by the national government that would close marijuana cafes near schools citywide. The measures announced Saturday would affect about 36 coffee shops in the center itself _ a little less than 20 percent of the city total.

Asscher underlined that the city center will remain true to its freewheeling reputation.

"It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world _ very exciting, but also with cultural attractions," he said. "And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

Under the plan announced Saturday, Amsterdam will spend euro30 million to euro40 million ($38 million to $51 million) to bring hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques to the center. It will also build new underground parking areas.

Amsterdam already had plans to close many brothels and some coffee shops, but plans announced Saturday go further.

Asscher said the city would reshape the area, using zoning rules, buying out businesses and offering assistance to upgrade stores. The city has shut brothels and sex clubs in the past by relying on a law allowing the closure of businesses with bookkeeping irregularities.

Prostitution will be allowed only in two areas in the district _ notably De Wallen ("The Walls"), a web of streets and alleys around the city's medieval retaining dam walls. The area has been a center of prostitution since before the city's golden shipping age in the 1600s.

Prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000, formalizing a long-standing tolerance policy.

Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but prosecutors won't press charges for possession of small amounts. Coffee shops are able to sell it openly.

Comments

[johnnygoodwud]

remember going there right out of college in the 70's. my buddy and i were there during our american 'thanksgiving', so to celebrate, we got a little smoke, met a couple of ladies of the night, and after, had a few drinks, and some eats. smoke, companionship, eats, and drinks,= $35.00 total for the entire night. ah, how times have changed.

[Wilbur]

PRICELESS!!!

Wilbur

[Twinkie]

Looks like I left my visit to Amsterdam too damn late!

[WmC]

So, everything was working just fine till organized crime moved in? Those damn capitalists fuggup everything.

[SimonNZ]

Funny how its a cleanup to make it more "tourist friendly". When I was there I almost all the accents I heard were American, British and Antipodean and almost no Dutch.

These areas hold a fascination for tourists simply because they're prohibited activities at home.

[americanzutroy]

Never went to a store, a restaurant or stayed in a hotel? Or never ventured out past Keizersgracht? Good job!

[KSD123]

The Dutch are practical and will find some compromise. Vice attracts more tourists than virtue, so my guess is that they won't go too far in their clean up.

[Ms Fu]

I hope that they close all of these shops.... No self-respecting people should allow places of sexual degradation.

[speciallady2003]

And you live in what alternative reality?

[functor]

Would you like to be a Professional Prostitute­?....Just curios.

[Ms Fu]

I'm not implying that sexual degradation doesn't take place; it happens on every corner of the Earth. What I meant to say is that ALLOWING it is reckless and irresponsible. You may say that the women in these brothel shops are doing it out of their own free will, but there is an international sex trade to consider here.

[EBrock]

If it's all about removing businesses that "generate criminality", then they better get ready to remove other institutions that often breeds individuals capable of similar criminal activities.

Churches, sports stadiums, college campuses, Wall Street.... well you get the point.

[NoPCZone]

The Islamification of Europe gains traction should have been the headline. Underneath the public comments are pressures to make The Netherlands a more socially conservative society.

To my friends in Holland- tolerance is the mark of an open society and tolerance by individuals and groups of actions and behaviors of others is the price of everyone else's tolerance of your differences.

My memories of my time in Europe ( I lived there for about 3 years back in the 1980's ) remind me that in most places one had to look for sexual establishments and the like. Most casual visitors wouldn't even notice. I guess the EU wants to remake Western Europe into a Disneyfied version of itself. I hear you can't even light up in a bar or club in Paris anymore. Doesn't sound like the Europe I fondly remember.

[Yves Papa]

About "lighting up" in a bar or club in Paris.
Regardless of what is contended by the tobacco industry and its attorneys who are well paid from their obscene profits, Cigarette smoke is a hazardous substance that causes cancer to the smoker as well to the people around him.
I think it is right to forbid smoking in public places since it is crazy to expose innocent people to a toxic substance for the pleasure of a minority.

[americanzutroy]

Unless its a private business you narc. Plus there are many people who know that smoking causes cancer and they don't care. Much like people know Alcohol causes liver disease, fatty food causes heart disease, but they indulge nonetheless. This is social facism. I'm all for limiting smoking outside of restaurants, but a bar? It's nuts that we can't smoke in NYC bars!

[functor]

I must take a moment to "appreciate" your Islamofobia which you were able to drive even from this article ...lol

[americanzutroy]

This is true though. The Islamic groups are moving to encourage more conservative social policies in Amsterdam. It's actually been in the news alot in the last five years. Remember Theo Van Gogh's murder?

[harrymellon]

The governments of Europe and the USA are organized crime.

[TrueJustice]

AMEN! PRAISE THE LORD!

[HumeSkeptic]

And on HP, s.e.x is a bad word!
.

[slowhand0728]

Would not call it exactly Paradise, but now it is just another dark and cold European city, with pretty flowers though.

[topkatnc]

Looks like guys will have to find something else to do.

[Cybernautrix]

Well, there goes Paradise.

[Indie2008]

I thought Amsterdam was supposed to be a beacon of personal freedom and enlightenm­ent., that would spread worldwide if only given a chance.

[planetjeffy]

There are "coffee shops" everywhere and pot is very commercial­ized...not fun. It was more fun when there where 10 "hard to find" coffee shops and bars that sold hash and pot. Other than that, Amsterdam is a beautiful city with lots of cool folks. Stay in the Jordaan area and rent a bike.

[NoSillyName]

Um, don't you get organized crime when things that people desire are made illegal?

[Leper]

What? You've never heard of Las Vegas?

[speciallady2003]

I think you are living in the past.