Amsterdam mayor hopes to permanently shut windows in the Red Light District

She wants them closed for good.

Femke Halsema, Amsterdam’s first female mayor has recently voiced her concerns over the 330 "human windows" in the Red Light District. Worried about the unacceptable behaviour of tourists, the safety of the workers, the illegal activity that's occurring as a result and the traffic of the area, Femke hopes to see changes made including the closure of the windows for good. According to the Telegraph, the mayor of Amsterdam said the following on the issue:

"For many visitors, the sex workers have become no more than an attraction to look at. In some cases this is accompanied by disruptive behaviour and a disrespectful attitude…At the same time, there has also been a major increase in unlicensed, invisible prostitution.”

Femke is planning to hold meetings on the issue this month and then, in September, draw up some proposals on how this issue will be tackled. In order to tackle the issue, Femke is already thinking around the lines of closing curtains and relocating brothels to the outskirts of the town. This news follows decisions to ban guided tours of the Red Light District from 2020. The ban won't go into effect until 2020 in order to give tour companies time to wind down their businesses. Until then, measures have been put in place to make sure tour groups visiting the Red Light District are of small size (20 or less) and all operators must have formal licenses following complaints from Dutch residents about the growth in footfall through the neighbourhood in recent times. Many travel companies are applauding the decision by the city government saying that this move is spurring a bigger conversation about what happens when humans are treated like art to "gawk at". You can read that full story here.