
In Anarchic Corner of Copenhagen, Police and Dealers Play Cat and Mouse - mshenfield
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/world/europe/christiania-freetown-copenhagen.html
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mkborregaard
To be exact, the only thing sold there is hash, though the article insists on
using the blanket term "drugs". The reason it's sold there is that the commune
has decided that it's unfair to label hash as a drug (unless nicotine or
alcohol are also labelled as drugs, which they are in a sense of course).
Christiania is the most drug-free area in all of Copenhagen.

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Symbiote
I'm told if you want other drugs, they aren't sold on Pusher Street itself,
but on the side streets. Someone will direct you.

(I really am just told this, although it's from people I'd expect to know.)

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simonsaidit
Don't try to ask that in Christania you might end up in trouble or atleast get
an angry answer. Drugs aren't sold on the side streets either. They are sold
everywhere outside christania like by the central station. Take if from
someone who spend every day there. Got a friend who was drunk and was doing
cocaine in one of the establishments there and when it was discovered he got
beaten up and banned from the place.

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victorjansson
This article and some HN comments paints an unfair picture of Christiana. I go
there every now and then because of the nice vibe, lush green environments and
musical events. No idea why there are comments about arabic majority. The
place is full on european or scandic. In the end they sell cannabis, something
that is widely used and partly legal in the US.

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matwood
> I go there every now and then because of the nice vibe, lush green
> environments and musical events.

I visited Copenhagen last year and went to Christiana to see this vibe,
greenness and artists. Instead I mainly saw teenagers drinking, and lots of
litter. Another comment below mentioned that the legalization of drugs will
hopefully bring Christiana back to what it used to be since it will not longer
be the place to go get drugs.

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olavk
I think it is really muddying the issue to conflate hash with "drugs". And I
do think it _was_ part of the original vision of Christiania that people
should be allowed to smoke hash if they were so inclined. It was conceived as
a "free town", not as a clean tourist attraction or art fair.

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kristofferR
It's a shame that NYT visited on a dark overcast day. I've been to Christiana
a few times and on good summer days it's absolutely amazing, full of greenery,
colorful art and happy people just enjoying life.

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lancebeet
People who are interested in the history of Christiania, how it was almost
destroyed by heroin in the 1970s (resulting in the current ban on hard drugs),
and the lives of children who grew up in the early days of the freetown might
want to watch the documentary Christianias Børn.

[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7584234/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7584234/)

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stirkac
Haha been there while working for Startup based in Copenhagen, that place is
bonkers. Go if you have a chance!

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Symbiote
> One reason the police cannot carry out more forceful raids, Mr. Laugesen
> said, is because they do not want to shock the crowds of tourists who come
> to gawk, and buy.

Wait until a wet Tuesday evening in October, and the police will use more
force. I saw this a few times when I lived very near Christiania; it was
around the time they had the problem with the serious criminal.

I'd be more tolerant of the drug market if they refused to sell cannabis to
under 18s, but the dealers will sell to anyone.

~~~
bonesss
Assuming legalization continues its progress: I'm looking forward to
Christiania being able to return to its artistic vision without the drug
tourism.

A legal, age-verified, purchasing process would help a lot of places get out
from under the crushing weight of tourist drug traffic, while also ensuring
safety and product quality.

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olavk
It is really muddying the issue to call hash "drugs".

~~~
Symbiote
Only if we don't also call alcohol and caffeine drugs.

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simonsaidit
when police comes by and does a raid, weed is being sold again 10 minutes
later.. that's how its been for 40 years. police use it as a practice ground
and often escalates conflicts to get the new trainees some more realistic
stressful situations as not much else is going on in Denmark. its the most
calm place when police are not around. i come there almost every day, even
after i quit smoking.. it just has so much to offer. last year my Norwegian
friend came by for a sandwich as police raided the place and some kids threw
rocks back at them so the police grabbed my friend eating his sandwich as a
shield.

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kachurovskiy
I was there in June 2016 with my wife and kid, the place felt very
uncomfortable with very sketchy and aggressive looking folks all around.
Groups of police officers were sitting in small buses in the bushes. I
definitely wouldn't want to have such a place in my city.

~~~
simonsaidit
I think you took the wrong tour. Christania is so much else than pusher-street
which granted have shady looking kids setting weed but that's what you get for
criminalizing it.. the ones you need to fear there is the police. Christania
is a place full of different nationalities and people which are very open and
sometimes alternative. Its one of the nicest green areas where you can just go
and enjoy a conversation, have a cup of coffee or play some backgammon. they
have vegetarian restaurants, non-alcohol cafes, stand up club, some of the
best music venues, jazz clubs. they have open air concerts throughout the
summer. they have skating and other sports. you can practically sit anywhere
and start a conversation with someone. try doing that outside in the city and
people will probably look strange at you. is very kid friendly. my toddler can
run free around. Its where a lot of us goes to get away from the "normal" city
life.

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mothsonasloth
Went to Christiania, it's a complete dump filled with weed dealers, happy
pants stalls and people touting Far Eastern mysticism. The only thing that's
curious is the slow decay of the buildings and the ageing hippy / anarchist
population still trying to cling to the 1970s.

I was hoping to find some form of libertarianism there but instead all you see
is the ubiquitous forms of leftism.

Also none of the cafes accepted bitcoin...

/sigh

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simonsaidit
you went the wrong places.

~~~
mothsonasloth
yes, you are right. I should have never went to Christiania.

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busterarm
One of my greatest regrets in life is not being able to take pictures inside
Christiania. It has some of the greatest blow ups (graffiti) I've ever seen.
10 years ago it was absolutely mindblowing wildstyles.

It's hard to wrap your head around just how sketchy the place is though, even
with the open-air drug-dealing going on. Honestly it reminded me of Times
Square in the early 80s with the sex replaced with more drugs. There is a
large, almost exclusively muslim criminal element there and Christiania's
residents depend on their money.

~~~
drsim
You can take photographs throughout Christiana, just not in the small area
called 'Pusher Street' for the reason mentioned in the article.

> There is a large, almost exclusively muslim criminal element there and
> Christiania's residents depend on their money

Source? I have never heard Muslim and Christiania mentioned in the same breath
before. I live in Copenhagen, near to Christiania.

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AndyMcConachie
I also take issue with that statement. I've been to Christiania 3 times as a
tourist and the drug market looks about as diverse as Copenhagen in general.
Also, I've never been able to figure out who is a tourist like me, and who is
dealing drugs or acting as a lookout. Nor can one tell the religion of a
person simply by looking at them.

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busterarm
I didn't "just look at" people. I spent time there and got to know locals,
including one or two of the Pusher street lookouts.

~~~
olavk
Oh and they were the ones who told you there was an "exclusively muslim
criminal element"? Because the police claims the hash trade is largely
controlled by the biker gang Hells Angels - but maybe your investigations have
uncovered better information?

