A Forced Gentrification May End Amsterdam’s Red Light District

Amsterdam's famed brothel lined streets in the city's Red Light District are under threat from an effort by the city to gentrify the area with upscale boutiques and restaurants. Beulah Maud Devaney writes in The Guardian, that the government’s efforts have so far been successful in shutting down 126 of the "windows" where tourists walking the streets could see prostitutes advertising their wares. However, the residents and sex workers of the district aren't happy with the changes imposed by the government.

Under the justification of tackling crime, the government forced brothel owners to sell their leases on this extremely valuable real estate. (All land in Amsterdam is owned by the government and leased to landlords.)…

In April 2015, more than 200 sex workers, led by PIC and PROUD, the Dutch sex workers union, marched through Amsterdam’s city centre to protest at the demonisation of their industry and the closure of the windows. The largest such protest in Dutch history drew public attention to the potential downside of gentrifying the red-light district.

Sex workers in the district believe that the government's effort to crack down on organized crime and human trafficking was just an excuse to force the closure of the brothels and open up valuable real estate. Now many are left without work and feeling the loss of their once vibrant community.