NationStates Jolt Archive

from CNN.COM...

Amsterdam to clamp down on sex shops, brothels, dope cafes



AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- 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.


Smokers in one of the cafes that will be targeted by authorities in the Netherlands.

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 €30 million to €40 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


source (http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/12/06/amsterdam.cafes.brothels.close.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview)



This is bullshit, now I have to cancel my trip to amsterdam.

This is bullshit, now I have to cancel my trip to amsterdam.
Dinnie bother, it's overrated.

And, frankly, stoned tourists make the city (at least the touristy bits) rather horrible. I'm all up for somking a bit of pot, but the city is, in some way, ruined by cannabis cafes.

Save your money, and go to any other European city where you can get pot (i.e. all of them), yet where everything isn't centered around chong.

Embarrassed!? I thought that was the primary reason for going!?

Dont they know what criminalizing drugs and prostitutes turns you into?

closing down the shops will only create a bigger black market there. they might as well just sell it in the open.

closing down the shops will only create a bigger black market there. they might as well just sell it in the open.

Yeah, itll turn you into us...:(

Noooo! Next thing you know, those tourists will go to other idyllic places in the netherlands for their fix, like mine! PLease, please, please, stay in Amsterdam :)

Amsterdam is hence forth renamed Austin Tx. for similar out dated laws between the two cities.

in Amsterdam, they came first for the prostitutes, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a prostitute...:p

Noooo! Next thing you know, those tourists will go to other idyllic places in the netherlands for their fix, like mine! PLease, please, please, stay in Amsterdam :)

party at your house!!!!!

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. doesn't sound like all the coffee shops are being shut down. I wonder how they will determine which of those "generate criminality"... perhaps those that don't contribute to the government?

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 so it's still illegal in Amsterdam... I didn't know that? how much would one have to possess to be prosecuted?

And thanks to you STUPID FOREIGNERS the goverment here has made mushrooms (paddo's) illegal. Apparantly some of you thought they could fly after eating them and subsequntly they fell. YOU BASTARDS.

The catch, the list of forbidden mushrooms counts around 160 species, some of them grow naturally in fields and forests here. You might face a fine of up to several hundreds of thousands euro's or jailtime for naturally growing mushrooms in your garden.:tongue:

so it's still illegal in Amsterdam... I didn't know that? how much would one have to possess to be prosecuted?A gram or so I thought. Makes you wonder were the coffeshops get their supplies from, seeing as there are no reported traffic jams of drug couriers.:p

You might face a fine of up to several hundreds of thousands euro's or jailtime for naturally growing mushrooms in your garden.:tongue:
Wha...? Eejits.

A similar thing happened here in the UK recently, but the buggers can't stop them growing! Anyhoos, mushie-picking is fun in itself.

First Australia, and now this.

NOW where am I supposed to go when USA goes batshit crazy? :mad:

NOW where am I supposed to go when USA goes batshit crazy?
'Goes'?

'Goes'?
That's in Holland.

That's in Holland.
*googles*

Ooh, the harbour looks nice.

Good luck with that idea. Next thing they're gonna complain about a lack of tourist visitors.

First Australia, and now this.

NOW where am I supposed to go when USA goes batshit crazy? :mad:

Canada ???

First Australia, and now this.

NOW where am I supposed to go when USA goes batshit crazy? :mad:

WAIT!?....There are people who think we havent gone Batshit Crazy!? SWEET!:)

The Prostitution part of this is actually the more serious issue. Hopefully this will reduce their human trafficking problem. Legalized prostitution is a nice idea for Vegas, but in practice it has made places like the Netherlands a prime destination for illegal trafficking.

I wonder when the Mayor is going to start campaigning to change the cities name to "Amsterdarn" to make it more family friendly . . .

The Prostitution part of this is actually the more serious issue. Hopefully this will reduce their human trafficking problem. Legalized prostitution is a nice idea for Vegas, but in practice it has made places like the Netherlands a prime destination for illegal trafficking.

Citation needed.

The Prostitution part of this is actually the more serious issue. Hopefully this will reduce their human trafficking problem. Legalized prostitution is a nice idea for Vegas, but in practice it has made places like the Netherlands a prime destination for illegal trafficking.
Technically, there is no legal prostitution in Las Vegas. all the houses are outside the city limits. they can advertise in LV, but (to my understanding) the transaction of exchanging money cannot occure inside the city limits.

Technically, there is no legal prostitution in Las Vegas. all the houses are outside the city limits. they can advertise in LV, but (to my understanding) the transaction of exchanging money cannot occure inside the city limits.

I thought it was actually Reno, could be wrong though....

EDIT: Ah, its actually any county with less than 400000 ppl

I thought it was actually Reno, could be wrong though....

EDIT: Ah, its actually any county with less than 400000 ppl

*nods*
that's right. and some of those counties are reaching the population limit. I know some people there fighting to raise the limit to *cough* help keep the unemployment rates down *cough*

Hmmm, Amsterdam without drugs and hookers.
*imagines*






*yawns*

Read this Redwulf:

http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/773

It talks about Western Europe as a whole, not the Netherlands specifically. But it is a good introduction to this issue.

This is a terrible blow to how we, as a nation, watch Pulp Fiction.

"And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

a - HA!

Silly Dutch authorities. Do they not know that Holland will spontaneously disappear if these policies are pursued, leaving a huge black void in its place, since it will no longer have any useful function?

Read this Redwulf:

http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/773

It talks about Western Europe as a whole, not the Netherlands specifically. But it is a good introduction to this issue.

That would not actually be a citation of your claim then. Give me something that specifically pertains to legal prostitution in Amsterdam contributing to human trafficking.

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.

Maybe they'll try to give the business a medieval theme, turn it into a history funpark like Colonial Williamsburg. But with prostitution.

Maybe they'll try to give the business a medieval theme, turn it into a history funpark like Colonial Williamsburg. But with prostitution.

You know, the condoms back then weren't quite as effective. Or comfortable.:eek2:

You know, the condoms back then weren't quite as effective. Or comfortable.:eek2:

All part of the De Wallen Land experience.

You know, the condoms back then weren't quite as effective. Or comfortable.:eek2:

And there was no treatment for syphlus.

I originally thought this thread was about shoes.

Let me get this straight...

In order to beat organized crime, they increase its profit margins and drive out the legitimate competiton that could have checked its influence in the first place? Shit, the Russian mafia must've paid some hefty bribes to the politicians get such an obviously flawed idea passed.

Maybe they'll try to give the business a medieval theme, turn it into a history funpark like Colonial Williamsburg. But with prostitution.

I will take the wench on a bench special then...

what is amsterdam without cannabis?
the world is coming to an end
There is nothing left!

what is amsterdam without cannabis?
the world is coming to an end
There is nothing left!

there is always alcohol.

Let me get this straight...

In order to beat organized crime, they increase its profit margins and drive out the legitimate competiton that could have checked its influence in the first place? Shit, the Russian mafia must've paid some hefty bribes to the politicians get such an obviously flawed idea passed.
Our politicians can do that without bribes.:(

That would not actually be a citation of your claim then. Give me something that specifically pertains to legal prostitution in Amsterdam contributing to human trafficking.

Proof? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_the_Netherlands#Human_trafficking) - It doesn't mention if legalization caused this, and belief that it did is is just confirmation bias.

No, just slightly less, and no shrooms.

Maybe they'll try to give the business a medieval theme, turn it into a history funpark like Colonial Williamsburg. But with prostitution.

and i was thinking it was because of it's historical value... since prostitution was there before the city's golden age of shipping. :p

No, just slightly less, and no shrooms.

no shrooms? *starts a fire*

That would not actually be a citation of your claim then. Give me something that specifically pertains to legal prostitution in Amsterdam contributing to human trafficking.

Did you read it? It mentions prostitution in Western Europe. Last time I checked that includeds the Netherlands, especially considering its fame for legal prostitution. I was trying to give you something that would help you understand the issue. I failed to realize you were trying to argue against it.

This should suffice:

http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Netherlands.htm

"The Netherlands is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor."

It mentions prostitution farther down. Of course, it is a matter of opinion whether legal prostitution is the reason. But I think you are putting on blinders if you deny it is at least a factor. It's hard to crack down on human trafficking if prostitution is legal. In America, one of the only ways they can shut down human trafficking establishments is by using anti-prostitution laws. These women and girls are too frightened to admit they were kidnapped, or they are too psychologically traumatized or language barriers are too great. Human trafficking is a complicated problem that you can't trace to one source, but legal prostitution makes it worse.

I have no issue if people want to pay for sex. And I don't think the places where prostitution is legal in America contribute to this problem. But in Europe and elsewhere where prostitution is made more acceptable and made into an industry, you get massive human trafficking. It is a correlation that's hard to dismiss.