Save Christiania!

Kerry Howley | May 16, 2007

Everyone's favorite Danish self-governing collectivist social experiment is under attack. Or at least that's what I gather from this semi-literate report:

Danish police on Tuesday arrested 50 people for their role in street riots in the 'free state Christiania' district of Copenhagen, German news reports said.

Several anarchist and militant leftist groups took part in the riots which have sparked after authorities announced the demolition of an illegally built house in the Christiania area which has a semi- autonomous status since 1971.

The 800 residents of Christiania and the Danish government are involved in a bitter dispute over the legal position of the alternative community in the free state district.

Fun facts about Christiania: It's set in an area of abandoned military barracks, was once invaded by a hostile biker gang, appears to have a hash-based economy, and is the subject of this charmingly incoherent documentary. Danish officials apparently want to "normalize" the semi-autonomous district. Christianites are not receptive. According to Wikipedia, "when authorities in 2002 demanded that the hash trade be made less visible, the stands were covered in military camouflage nets."