Years of pressure by those fined for urinating in street due to lack of facilities pays off with €4m plans
The need kicked in as Geerte Piening was on her way home from a bar one night in 2015. She swiftly weighed her options: it was past closing time in Amsterdam’s lively Leidseplein area, meaning she could not duck into a bar to use their facilities, while the nearest public toilet was 2km away.
She resorted to squatting in an alleyway, coaxing her friends to cover her as she did so. Police soon turned up, handing her a €140 (£118) fine for public urination.
