Several Dutch ‘coffeeshops’ have announced they are going on strike on June 9th, the day of the parliamentary elections. In the Netherlands 'coffeeshops' are outlets where people can buy small amounts of cannabis - for actual coffee you want a koffiehuis or a café. By closing up shop for a day the owners hope to make their customers aware of the effect an anti-cannabis government might have on business.

The last Dutch cabinet introduced tighter restrictions on coffeeshops. A number of them were forced to close after the government decided that coffeeshops could not be located within 250 metres of a school.

Coffeeshop owner Nol van Schaik has called for the strike. He fears that the pressure on coffeeshops might increase if Christian and right-wing parties do well in the upcoming elections. “We can only wait and see whether more coffeeshops will be forced to close, maybe you and me are next, maybe all of us…” He says in a plea to fellow owners on his website.

“Coffeeshop visitors don’t really believe in politics,” he argues. “We want these people to go and vote, this could make a difference for us.” This is why he proposes that all shops stay closed during polling hours on election day. “Perhaps our customers will feel obliged to walk to the closest poling station and cast their vote,” he says and lists all parties that are pro-cannabis.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide