Calling all Dutch coffeeshops for a strike

Dutch coffeeshop owner Nol van Schaik is calling all coffeeshop owners for a nationwide strike during the Dutch national parliament election day on June 9. By keeping the doors of coffeeshops closed for one day, he wants to warn visitors that this could become an everyday reality when rightwing parties form a coalition.

The current largest party CDA (Christian Democratic Alliance) earlier announced that they regard the use of drugs ‘undesirable’ and that they would like to see all coffeeshops gone. Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) is against any form of drug use (alcohol excluded) and they believe the country should abolish the policy of tolerance towards soft drugs. According to these ‘freedom fighters’ drug addicts should be locked up for forced to withdrawl in modern labor camps.

A coalition between said parties and the VVD (Liberal party) and CU (Christian Union) could lead to the closure of all coffeeshops within years. By keeping the doors shut of all coffeeshops during election day, van Schaik wants to show how the cities will look without coffeeshops. Cities as Amsterdam and Maastricht would face a surge in drug dealing on the streets and tokers would have nowhere to go to smoke.

Read more on coffeeshopstaking.nl.

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Comments

Joe - 2010-03-12 14:55:24

this is a good idea! and i'll make sure i'm not in the Netherlands on that day. it would be too depressing.
i really, REALLY wish for the best for all coffeeshop owners!

Manos - 2010-03-12 16:02:45

That's a really good idea.Slow changes have already started and are hardly noticable.If they continue the coffeeshops will be gone.This drastic change for one day will show how important the coffeeshops for everyone are.
Cheers and good luck!

Sponge - 2010-03-12 20:25:50

Good on them! Hope this goes ahead (and that none of the coffee shops use it as a way to make some extra $$ by staying open)!
I hope that the NL sees quite an economical hit on that day as a result too (we all know the only way to truly secure our freedom of choice as far as the government is concerned is to give them a financial motive...)

dead - 2010-03-13 12:36:58

I wish them the best, but the feeling is things are going really downwards in NL, if such christian-fascists get elected there will be hawfull times ahead..

Joe - 2010-03-13 14:01:40

i also reckon it'd be a good idea for all the people who work in coffeeshops to go somewhere and act all unemployed... maybe get drunk... just loiter about and show the political parties what would happen to all those honest, working people.

Nakkeau - 2010-03-14 11:40:59

Good idea to do this on election day, everyone should be very aware of this mayor threat.
And do keep in mind as well, that more and more politicians do see the benefits of legelisation/regulation/earning taxes out of it.

So there still is hope!

and may we set this big step in to freedom, with the world to see and follow...

hermit - 2010-03-15 01:51:53

I really dont know exactly what to say, but that I'm really saddened that it has come to this. I see the NL as a kind of flagship for other countries to follow, in many areas. And now theres a real threat to sinking that ship.

also, makes me wonder about the motives of those supporting to close the shops, and should they succeed I think it would not be the last of what you would hear from them...

anyhow, supports and best wishes from Finland.

TeoIfO - 2010-03-16 18:41:13

It's the 21st Century and I feel like we are going backwards. Why people can accept everything but soft drugs?

Ignorance is the answer.

I really hope the strike will make people think. I really hope Neverland won't fall and become just a good memory of a forgotten past.

Markos - 2010-03-17 18:56:02

thats rly sad but i fear the coffeshops in NL will close -.- ....ppl r rly stupid.....if they close the coffeshops the blackmarket will BOOM!!! anyway we rly r going backwards in evolution....and rly why baning drug plants/drugs??? that doesnt changes anything in the number of addicts.....and in fact, taking drugs is on responsibility of the taker......they mostly know what the drug does or can do......

gaboss - 2010-03-18 01:57:28

governments do not care about the will
of the people ... they never did *shrug*

unfortunately ... :(

Antifa from Germany - 2010-03-24 18:11:12

It sure is a great idea, but first i wonder if really all shopowners would strike and furthermore i dont think that it´ll do much...sadly!

The smokers of Netherland NEED to form a force and demonstrate against the repression and the possibility of a fascist state!!!

Guy, form Groups..go out on the street and DO something. If youl demonstrate close to the German border (venlo/roermond etc.) even german activist will come and support you...but only the Dutch can fight for their, and OUR FREEDOM!
So I beg you people, just one of you...Start something...before its too late