For over fifty years, Christiania in Copenhagen, Denmark has been celebrated as a haven of creativity and autonomy, attracting visitors and free thinkers from around the world. Once famed for its colorful counter-culture and open cannabis market along Pusher Street, this iconic hippie enclave is not suffering from the growing influence of criminal groups, and escalating violence have threatened both local safety and the community’s founding ideals.
In 2024, a decisive shift began: residents, with support from local authorities, physically tore up the cobblestoned Pusher Street, signaling their collective intent to drive out the criminal drug trade and reclaim their neighborhood.
This collaboration between Christianites and city leaders marked a new chapter.
This story documents the days and nights, that residents united in a bold move to dismantle the infamous drug market.
Shot for Wall Street Journal.
