Towards the end of the summer, Christiania, in cooperation with friends from all over the country, arrange a "Public Parade for the Right to Diversity". The participants arrive in special trains and busses. A wreath is placed at the Pillar of Liberty and, in front of the Parliament building, Christiansborg, a series of artists with popular singer Kim Larsen, and the group Savage Rose in front perform in solidarity with the Freetown. This event is attended by a few courageous politicians. Subsequently, a "cultural orgy" unfolds with free musical and artistic performances on 22 stages around the Freetown. Nina Hagen performs in Den Grå Hal (the Grey Hall), and the Steppenwolves are reunited and play on a pontoon stage in the lake. About 70.000 people visit Christiania on this day.

The government's competition calling for ideas has been a total failure so far. No recognized architects, men of ideas or developers have taken part. Only 17 more or less doubtful proposals have been sent in, of which only eight have met the formal competition requirements. All of these proposals have been rejected by the panel of judges who, nevertheless, have been required to dispense 850.000 Danish crowns in consolation prizes.

In a necessary choice between business and the survival of Christiania, the dealers chose to remove the hash booths by the beginning of 2004. However, this action has not prevented the police from carrying out a mass arrest and massive patrolling so that Christiania is, once again, a virtually occupied area. The police have retained some residents and remanded them in custody for a record number of days. As a firm tradition, the annual report from Amnesty International has criticized the extensive use of remand in custody of the Danish police. But for the first time in the history of Christiania, the open dealing in hash has been eliminated.

Towards the goals of the future
Christiania's campaign of defence has intensified with support from many outsiders: "Save Christiania" T-shirts have become a nationwide fashion phenomenon. A group of young people from, among others, "Global Roots" has created an effective grassroots organization which defends Christiania against invalid criticism from the outside world.

Christiania has advanced into the city and has established a temporary embassy at Christianshavn in the Institute for Contemporary Art. Diplomatic activities include a big exhibition and a popular series of talks. In addition, a beautiful and richly illustrated picture book about the dwellings in Christiania has been published. Several support CDs have been issued with popular, as well as unknown artists.

The citizens of Christiania are currently receiving legal advice concerning negotiations about a foundation model which may secure the Freetown's autonomy, including the issues of collective right of use and future development. Christiania's new adversary is a commission of officials from the Palaces and Properties Agency, as Christiania from ne day to the next has been transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Finance. The municipality of Copenhagen also plays a part. It has appointed a former resident as special Christiania consultant. Currently, Christiania has the strongest negotiation team to date. The lawyers and eight Christianites are supported by a backing group of more than 30 activists, representing all parts of the Freetown community.

An extensive petition has been circulated and it has received more than a hundred thousand signatures to date. The petition states that Christiania should continue as a social experiment and preserve its self-government and its cultural values. Such ideas are also supported by the council of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts which believes that the experiment must be allowed to continue in order to really demonstrate its inherent strengths or weaknesses. The same kind of support comes from Christiania's neighbours and the Christianshavn local council who all disagree vehemently with the "normalization" process which would make Christiania just another neighbourhood of Copenhagen.

In spite of obvious opposition from the government and the police, the community of Christiania celebrated its 33rd birthday by opening a new Youth Club with fine, bright rooms at the top of one of the shared public buildings where Loppen is housed. The Youth Club is the fifth institution for children and youths. It is a natural supplement to the Freetown's various offerings to new generations of Christianites.
On Fredens Eng (the Meadow of Peace), an international peace festival is held, where Red Indians, Tibetans, Africans and different nationalities meet to direct positive energies towards other conflict-stricken areas on Mother Earth. On the same day, creative men of ideas publish "The Architecture of Christiania", a great and visionary catalogue of ideas for a series of new dwellings - both within the actual boundaries of Christiania and also as floating villages in the surrounding canals.

The tale is not at an end...