The Guardian, “Gang violence could end open cannabis trade in anarchist commune Christiania”

Organised criminals have taken over ‘Pusher Street’ market in the Danish capital and are vying for dominance

By Daniel Boffey, May 9, 2023

The 40-year history of the open cannabis trade on “Pusher Street” in the heart of the anarchist Christiania neighbourhood of Copenhagen could be over as the city’s mayor said she was willing to shut it down over the commune’s fears about rising gang violence.

Christiana is a self-proclaimed autonomous commune in the Danish capital that has been allowed to effectively run itself as a “social experiment” since the 1970s despite periodic threats of a clean-up by national governments.

At its heart is Pusher Street, where stalls operated by locals openly sell cannabis, but ever-worsening violence in the “green light” district, as organised criminal gangs have moved in and vied for dominance, has prompted growing concerns over residents’ safety.

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