Hamburg’s red-light district has exploded late on Saturday evening with the street protests. The sex workers demanded reopening of brothels.
Following months of lockdown, Germany’s government allowed some businesses to relaunch gradually. On Saturday, Hamburg prostitutes have also demanded reopening of their working places, brothels.
According to the spokeswoman the Association of Sex Workers, the oldest profession needs government’s help. Some Hamburg protesters wore theatrical masks while one played folk songs on a violin in the street just around the corner from the Reeperbahn, famous for its nightlife.
With shops, restaurants and bars all open again in Germany, where prostitution is legal, sex workers say they are being singled out and deprived of their livelihoods despite not posing a greater health risk.
The Association of Sex Workers, which organised Saturday street protest, says the continued closure of licensed premises is forcing some prostitutes onto the streets, which is illegal and a far more dangerous and unhygienic way of working.
As prostitutes believe, brothels could easily incorporate pandemic safety measures adopted by other industries, including face masks, ventilating premises and recording visitors’ contact details.
“Prostitution does not carry a greater risk of infection than other close-to-body services, like massages, cosmetics or even dancing or contact sports,” the Association of Sex Workers’ statement reads. “Hygiene is part of the business in prostitution.”
