Where Anarchy reigns…

Freetown Christiania is on the outskirts of Copenhagen. In the 1971, some homeless people were squatting in old military base. When they broke down a fence to use an abandoned playground for their kids, Christiania was born.Colorful murals line the outer walls and every street corner in this quirky artistic community. There is theatre, live music and many other types of artistic expression within these walls. The people of Christiania forbid, guns, violence, hard drugs and cars. Fireworks, biker’s colors and bullet proof vests are also discouraged. In researching my visit to Christiania, there were quite a few websites cautioning against taking photographs in the neighborhood. Before 2017, an area known as Pusher Street was the site of many Marijuana dealers. Although marijuana is illegal in Copenhagen, the dealers were afraid that photographers would turn them in to the police for illegal activities. An incident in 2016 in which a police officer was injured by a gun shot caused the community to shut down Pusher Street. Christiania is a mix of homemade houses, workshops, art galleries, music venues and organic restaurants. The town exists as a society within a society, you cannot buy a house in Christiania. You have to apply for it and if you are successful it is given to you.