Amsterdam at Night Becomes an ‘Urban Jungle’ – Streets Full of Illegal Races, Drugs, Violence

Amsterdam, a tourist hotspot for numerous visitors from all over the world, transforms into a true jungle at night ruled by lawlessness, with the police remaining incapable of combating crime and violence on its streets, warned the ombudsman of the Dutch city.

“The city becomes an urban jungle at night,” said Amsterdam ombudsman Arre Zuurmond to the Dutch daily Trouw, warning about illegal car and bike races on city streets, open drug sales, and other criminal activities.

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“Criminal money is circulating, and neither the authorities nor the police can manage the situation anymore,” Zuurmond warned.

Around 18 million tourists flood Amsterdam every year, a number greater than the total population of the Netherlands.

Last year, the city sought to take serious steps to defend itself from visitors who violate public order laws by introducing monetary fines.

However, thanks to the possibilities of cheap travel, groups mostly consisting of young people, who often come from the rest of the Netherlands or Britain, frequently wander through the city center and its canal-laden streets on weekends, filling pubs and organizing private parties attracted by easy access to drugs and the notorious Red Light District.

Painting a grim picture of the city’s nightlife, Zuurmond referred to three cameras set up in the city center, at Leidseplein square, surrounded by cafes and clubs.

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“One night we counted 900 offenses, mostly between two and four in the morning. A dark atmosphere and a sense of lawlessness prevail,” said the ombudsman.

“Motorcyclists race through pedestrian zones. There is a lot of noise. Drugs are being bought. People urinate and even sleep on the streets,” he adds.

“There is violence, but no one reacts. You can urinate on a police vehicle, and the driver won’t say anything to you,” Zuurmond states, depicting the state of the city’s streets at night.

According to him, as many as 2,000 illegal taxi vehicles operate on Amsterdam’s streets at night, and a cash black market is thriving.

In the Red Light District, the streets are so congested at night that there is a serious danger to people in case of a fire or the need for emergency assistance, whose vehicle would not be able to get through, emphasizes the ombudsman, who points to the example of New York in the need to clear the situation and restore order in the city.