Out for the red light district? Erotic center in Amsterdam takes care of Zoff

Beer, weed and sex: Not only party tourists should probably think of these three things when they think of Amsterdam nightlife. But especially that last point, prostitution, always causes nuisance in the largest city in the Netherlands.

The latest trigger is a planned erotic center that the city is planning outside of the existing red-light district in the old town. The idea: The center should relieve the overcrowded inner city in many places and ensure that the sex tourism that disturbs many residents is moved from the street “De Wallen” to another place.

If you look at the pure numbers, this is also urgently needed. The city’s approximately 800,000 inhabitants receive more than 22 million tourists every year. And the Red Light District in the oldest part of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a regular stop for many. “This part of the city is in danger of becoming uninhabitable,” said the green mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, recently.

Their plan is therefore a high-rise in which about 100 prostitutes can work. There will also be restaurants, sex theaters and clubs.

But not everyone likes that. Citizens and prostitutes have protested against what some are calling a “mega brothel”. The exact location of the center is not yet clear. But residents of the three possible locations are already afraid that the erotic center will attract traders and party tourists.

And many sex workers are also angry. The proposed new sex complex is less safe than the current open-air red-light district, they say. The women fear for their safety.

About 200 prostitutes recently went to the town hall, submitted a petition to Halsema and demanded: “Hands off De Wallen.” They want to be heard.

Halsema counters that the problems “are not caused by the sex workers”. It is about “excessive tourism and crime”. Interest group Red Light United agrees, but draws different conclusions. Her credo: “Grab the dealers, the tourists – but not the sex workers.”

In any case, the British party tourists are now in the crosshairs of the city. She has now launched the “Stay Away” campaign. Videos on the Internet advise those who only want to drink alcohol and smoke weed to find another destination.

Whether this will lead to success is as open as the outcome of the protests against the erotic center. The possible locations promise to cause a lot of bickering: one option is the posh south of Amsterdam, right next to the financial district.

A resident who recently demonstrated against the center became excited in an interview with the German press agency: “Then our beautiful neighborhood will be overrun by sex-hungry cheaters.”

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