Amsterdam prostitutes protest closure of 'window' brothels

Several hundred prostitutes took to the streets of Amsterdam on 9 April, over plans to revamp the city's famous red light district by shutting down some of the windows where sex workers sit and attract clients.

"About 250 people demonstrated in the red light district against the closure of the windows," city police spokeswoman Marjolein Koek told AFP News.

The prostitutes and their supporters were seen wearing masks to protect their identities, and holding signs reading "Don't save us, save our windows" and "Stop closing our windows", reported Dutch TV.

The protest was stretched into the city hall, where prostitutes presented a petition to the city Mayor, Eberhard van der Laan, saying the closures are preventing them from having a safe place to work.

Approximately 115 out of the 500 red-lit windows have already been shut down in Amsterdam in an attempt to fight human trafficking and other sexual crimes.

"Sex is a legal career in the Netherlands and we need support, we want to be taken seriously by politicians," said a spokeswoman for the prostitutes, according to Dutch press agency ANP.

"We are, nonetheless, being treated like pariahs and kicked out of the neighbourhood without anyone asking our opinion."

As demonstrators protested against the shutting down of the brothels, empty windows were seen bearing messages for Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan reading: "You are stealing our jobs."

Amsterdam is home to an estimated 7,000 sex workers with 75 per cent of the prostitutes reportedly originating from eastern Europe.

Prostitution has been legalized in the Netherlands since 2000.