By Afp. Prostitutes in Amsterdam's infamous red light district have demanded more windows from which to ply their trade as they fight back against the city's first female mayor in her attempts to move them out of the neighbourhood. Mayor Femke Halsema argues that action needs to be taken because of 'disruptive behaviour and a disrespectful attitude to the sex workers in the windows.
But Felicia Anna, chairwoman of the newly-formed Red Light United union for window-framed sex workers, has rubbished the idea that sex workers are vulnerable and need moving for their own protection. Felicia Anna, chairwoman of the newly-formed Red Light United union, has called on Amsterdam to expand its red light district to solve problems with overcrowding file.
The area is one of the biggest tourist draws in a city that attracted around 18 million visitors last year. But rising crime and the sheer number of visitors have contributed to huge problems in the area, once called a 'square kilometre of misery' by police. Ms Halsema has put forward four options to change the red light district, in what she says is a bid to curb crime and human trafficking, and to make life more pleasant for people who live there.
The first is to literally draw curtains over the window booths so people cannot see the sex workers from the street. The second option is to move some window booths to other areas of the city, while the more radical option three is to close down and move all of them.
However the fourth option is to actually increase the number of window brothels in the red light district from the current level of , and possibly also create a 'sex hotel', on the grounds that it will help sex workers trapped in the unlicensed sector to move to the licensed industry.
