Europe: Danish Court Says Christiania Residents Have No Right to It
A Danish court has ruled that the residents of Copenhagen's Christiania neighborhood have no right to use the property they have called home since 1971. The ruling opens the way for the government to regain control of the hippie enclave.
entrance to Christiania, Copenhagen (courtesy Wikimedia)
But in 2004, the Danish government moved to reassert control over Christiania with an eye to redeveloping the property. It has also forced the shutdown of Pusher Street, resulting in clashes with police. But residents didn't respond only with rocks; they filed a lawsuit in 2006 seeking to block the government from reasserting control.
On Tuesday, the Danish Eastern High Court dismissed the lawsuit. But residents had expected that ruling, Christiania spokesman Thomas Ertman told the Associated Press. "I believe that we will appeal the case" to Denmark's highest court, the Supreme Court, he said.
"No Danes are above the law, neither are the residents of Christiania," said Peter Christensen, a senior member of the ruling Liberal Party. "I am very satisfied that the ruling came out this way."
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redditSoren, good luck. I hope the
Comment posted by Carrick Baugh on Sat, 05/30/2009 - 4:19pmSoren, good luck. I hope the reasonable and responsible thing is done -- that Christiania is not thrown away, and that Pusher Street doens't disappear, just so that it can appear on every other street instead.
after affects
Comment posted by søren on Sat, 05/30/2009 - 12:26pmhey i am from denmark and i can tell you about the after affects of closing pusher street. the canabis market have been spread out all over copenhagen. and we now have a big problem with gang wars, were innecent people is getting killed. this is problem that we never have had before.
the good news is that more and more people is getting awear of the problems that our goverment have created. but not nearly enough. and it is mostly the youth organisations. the goverment is trying to shot any debat about it, and it is still a big taboo. but we are some who is fighting a war on the war on drugs.