The I amsterdam sign is an (unfortunate) landmark of Amsterdam. The swarms of people around it would make one think border patrol makes visitors sign a document stating they will absolutely get a photo with it upon entering the country. 

In December 2018, the Amsterdam Tourism Board decided to remove the famous giant letters from Museumplein, where they had been for the past 14 years, at the request of Amsterdam City Council, for the letters were attracting large crowds to an already crowded and relatively small area. With this decision the sign became a travelling landmark, appearing in different, less touristy, Amsterdam neighbourhoods every few months.

Along with the sisterhood of the travelling letters,  there’s also a permanent I amsterdam sign just outside Schiphol Airport for the tourists who want to fulfil their duties hassle-free.

The I amsterdam sign is a strange phenomenon, locals hate it, tourists are drawn to it (or are legally obliged). And now, Greenpeace has gotten involved.

On June 26th, the I amsterdam sign (or at least a version of it) returned to its original place in Museumplein. The sign now reads “I amazonia”. The new sign is part of the Greenpeace campaign “All Eyes on Amazon”, aiming at raising awareness about the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest.

A Forest and Biodiversity Campaigner at Greenpeace Netherlands, Sigrid Peters, said: 
“It’s only when something is gone, that we realise how much we miss it. Our capital city’s iconic ‘I amsterdam’ sign, set in front of the Rijksmuseum, drew the admiration and camera lenses of millions of people worldwide. By bringing it back in altered state as ‘I amazonia’, Greenpeace not only calls for the urgent protection of the largest remaining rainforest in the world  but also sends a strong message of solidarity to the Indigenous People and traditional communities who are protecting the Amazon against deforestation.”