By Iolanda Fonseca
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A protest by the Greenpeace NGO reinstalled the giant sign in front of the National Museum of History and Art in the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The message has now been changed to display “I amazonia” in an action to draw attention to the preservation of the forest.
The original sign, 22 meters in length by 3 meters high, saying “I amsterdam” was removed in December 2018 after 14 years. It was removed from the site by municipal authorities due to the gathering of large crowds of visitors. The landmark was one of the main attractions for Instagrammers and tourists.
“It’s only when something is gone that you realize how much you miss it. The iconical sign attracted the attention and the camera lens of millions of people around the world.”
“By bringing it back as “I amazonia”, Greenpeace not only calls for urgent protection of the world’s largest surviving rainforest but also sends out a powerful message of solidarity to indigenous people and traditional communities that protect the Amazon from deforestation,” said Sigrid Deters, Greenpeace Netherlands’ forest and biodiversity activist.