The Netherlands' soft drugs policies are known the world over. People from all four corners of the globe are flocking to the Dutch "drugs capital" Amsterdam, to inhale the Dutch skunk smoke.

There's even an annual Cannabis Liberation Day, where the unrestricted public use of soft drugs is tolerated. This year's edition was held on Sunday 8 May in Amsterdam.

But it's not just a big pot-smoking festival, Cannabis Liberation Day is also a day of protest. The Dutch government has decided to tighten the rules on marijuana use.

The so-called coffeeshops, where soft drugs are sold over the counter, are to be turned into members-only clubs. Only Dutch residents can become members, effectively blocking out the tourists.

This year's Cannabis Liberation Day, however, proved to be unaffected by those dark clouds looming over the Netherlands' renowned pot-smoking freedom. The only clouds on that sunny spring day emanated from the satisfied smokers' spliffs.