Five months have passed since the infamous Pusher Street in the self-governing hippy enclave Christiania in the heart of Copenhagen was closed. Known for openly selling cannabis despite the drug’s illegal status in Denmark, Pusher Street was a central source of income for the community. However, rising gang-related violence forced Christiania’s community to take drastic measures, leading to the street’s shutdown.
September 8th, 2024, Copenhagen
Giulia Pirrello and Èlia Serra Abad
Sign at the former entrance of Pusher Street giving notice of its closure | Image: Èlia Serra Abad
On April 6th of this year, the people of Freetown Christiania, an area of ex-army barracks occupied by squatters and activists in the 1970s, started symbolically ripping up the famous Pusher Street. The walkway had become their most well-known asset over the last couple of years due to so-called Pushers openly selling cannabis, drawing in both visitors and criticism. The drug is still illegal in Denmark, which is one of the reasons why Christiania was criticised for their handling of matters around the cannabis market. Even though Christiania is known and loved for their self-governing, alternative lifestyle and vibrant artistic culture, in recent years the community was increasingly battling gang-violence, including the turning point shooting in 2022 which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old. One of the numerous reasons why Christianites agreed to accept financial aid from the government back in March of this year, to redevelop the area.
Reminders of Christiania’s freedom throughout the community | Image: Èlia Serra Abad
“Authorities have told us to do something, but they can’t force us to do police work”, so Kirsten Larsen, a member of the press group at Christiania. The community had been involved in heavy police raids for months before April 6th until the citizens had finally had enough. Larsen notes that it is only her community that has evident control of the people and actions in Christiania and when they decided to close the cannabis market, the dealers were gone. Something official authorities haven’t been able to achieve in years. “Criminals in Christiania are better criminals because they listen to our common meetings. We closed the hash market from one day to the other. The police couldn’t do it, the government couldn’t do it. We could!”, Larsen jokes.
Kirsten Larsen, member of Christiania’s press group | Image: Èlia Serra Abad
Following the closure of Pusher Street, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard described it as “the beginning of the end for the deep roots that organised crime gangs have established in this neighbourhood of Copenhagen,” in an interview with BBC in April. While many in Christiania may share that sentiment, residents like Larsen see the difficulties that come with shutting down such a significant source of income for their community these days. The closure marks progress in curbing crime but it also presents new economic challenges for the self-governed enclave. According to Larsen the community has on the one hand become more peaceful and quieter since the cannabis market was closed with police raids ceasing. Although officers still patrol the streets, ”life feels more relaxed,” Larsen notes. On the other hand, she can see the toll that the closure of Pusher Street has taken on Christiania’s economy. “This market attracted also many other customers. Customers to the bars, to the cafés, to the shops, to the guided tours. You know, people love to see something illegal going on. I told politicians before, maybe we need to sell cannabis because without selling cannabis, we cannot afford to be here.” Larsen additionally stated that Christiania operates on an annual budget of 50 million DKK, 25% of which comes from local businesses and 75% from rent paid by residents. With their largest business—cannabis—now gone, the community faces a financial shortfall. Larsen also pointed out that many of those who paid rent were involved in the cannabis trade and are now in jail, further straining their budget.
The street once known for cannabis, shootings and police raids looking very peaceful these days | Image: Èlia Serra Abad
Now that the enclave faces the challenge of finding a new revenue stream the hope is, according to Larsen and other community members, to shift focus toward art. The community has been known for its vibrant art just as much as its hash market for decades, something also Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard acknowledged earlier this year. “To safeguard that Christiania will continue to be a vibrant, colourful, creative part of Denmark, it needs to be a place without organised criminal gangs”, he said in his interview with BBC. While Christiania works to reshape its image from a drug hub to an art haven, Larsen insists, “there is no adversary between arts and cannabis.
Do you want to know more about Christiania or need an overview on its timeline?
Here is some additional information about the history of the enclave.
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