Gang war on Pusher Street 1983–1986
From 1983 to 1986, the Hells Angels and the BS Motorcycle Club fought a gang war largely played out on Pusher Street inside Christiania.
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Pusher Street and the Drug Trade
At 23:33 · chapter starts 20:44
Despite Christiania's peaceful ethos, the fact that marijuana was illegal in Denmark but openly tolerated inside the commune created an irresistible commercial opportunity. What became known as Pusher Street — a vivid strip of hash stalls that one Vanity Fair journalist compared to a quaint small town with 40 liquor stores running through its main street — became the defining and most controversial feature of the community. Chuck and Josh outline how it escalated: from casual hash and weed sales to harder drugs including heroin and acid, and from informal dealers to organized criminal networks. By 2004, up to 25% of Christiania's population was reportedly reliant on the drug economy; by 2016, police estimated the trade was worth $100 million USD per year.
Pusher Street: The World's Biggest Hash Market
What started as casual hash sales in Christiania's 'Greenlight District' exploded into Pusher Street, home to 40 hash stalls and an estimated $100 million annual drug trade. The Hells Angels and BS Motorcycle Club fought a gang war there, leaving residents — ideologically barred from calling the police — largely powerless.
The Gang War in the Peace Commune
From 1983 to 1986, the Hells Angels and the BS Motorcycle Club fought a bloody gang war — largely on the streets of a community founded on pacifism. The Hells Angels won, carrying out broad daylight hits until the BS Motorcycle Club folded entirely.
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