Christiania loses court challenge

Residents of Christiania seeking to retain rights over the former Copenhagen naval base they occupied in 1971 were dealt a blow this morning by the Eastern High Court, which decided that the state was in its powers to re-assert control over the area.

Christiania residents had brought the Place and Properties Agency to court in order to challenge the 2004 Act of Parliament which ended their right to use the 35 hectare waterfront property.

Parliament passed a law in 1989 transferring part of the supervision of the semi-autonomous ‘free state’ from the city council to the state, with the state arguing that since no formal agreement had ever been reached with Christiania, the land remained state property.

Residents, however, believe that the state’s acceptance of their occupation has given them de facto rights to the area. Their argument was supported by a 1987 Justice Ministry memo finding that it was likely that the state could only reassert its control over the base if it entered into an agreement with residents.

The memo also indicated that residents had grounds to believe that the political acceptance of the occupation could be seen as a permanent approval.

Attorneys for the residents had expressed optimism that the court would find in their favour. They will now decide whether to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

About 900 people currently live in Christiania, and according to Stig Grønbæk Jensen representing the state, they have temporary permission to remain there and will not be evicted immediately.

The 2004 act was part of a normalisation process that also saw the state clamp down on Christiania’s open-air cannabis market. Since that time, efforts have led to the establishment of a regular police presence in the area.