The scene has unfolded countless times in the Netherlands: Young people break into an unused building, move in a table, chair and bed, and then tell the police they are now the official residents - with no permission from the owner and no plans to pay rent.

On Friday, the once-respected Dutch tradition of squatting becomes illegal. It is the latest pillar of the country's liberal institutions - such as legal prostitution and cafes that openly sell marijuana - to be abolished or curtailed as the Dutch become more conservative and rethink the boundaries of their famed tolerance.