April 1st: Fools took over the streets of Amsterdam
In the U.K. April Fool's Day is already a well known tradition to have actions. This year Amsterdam followed with a reclaim intervention: April Fool's Pride. About 50 fools took fool responsibility to reclaim their lives, to reclaim the city. With support of great musicians fools danced their way through that part of the city were you're only allowed to shop.
Dutch text will follow / Nederlandse tekst volgt nog.
Conspiracy on Thursday april 1st: around 18.30 tens of people entered a beautiful building in the Amsterdam city centre. In less than 1 hour they all changed into the fools they already were. Then the right moment came to leave and to start fooling around. Immediately with great music made by fantastic musicians. The dancing procession started at one of the Amsterdam canals and went to the Leidsestraat. There our secret sign got a first try: "Let's all jump!". More "Let's all's" should follow later during the route: "Let's all laugh!", "Let's all lay down on the ground!", "Let's all hug!", etc.
The foolish route went to the Konings square and Heiligeweg: Yeahhh, great, the Holy shopping area! The place which gives meaning of life in capitalist society: shop till you drop! The system is boring and that's why fools like free situations and give unpredicability a hand.
The ultimate church of boreness is the shopping mall. A great one is Kalver tower; one of the entrances is at the Heiligeweg. The foolish march entered there.
"Alarm, alarm!" - Security was in panic: people were dancing instead of shopping, people were making music instead of shopping, people were laughing instead of looking to expensive thingies!
With much effort they tried to stop the fools - but didn't succeed.
That shopping mall is really funny: if you take a look at the floor you'll see music notes - but if you practise them, for sure you'll be in trouble.
At the Kalver street we left the mall after thanking and praying to the Shopping God and that great church of overconsumption. In the Kalver street fools continued: people made pictures, enjoyed the music and some of them danced with us. Fools freed the situation of predicatability in the nr. 1 shopping street - at least for a while.
But that pleasure couldn't take long. Other fools joined the procession: police arrived and tried to start ID-checks - without results. And of course they ordered to stop the music. The musicians took a short break and then did what musicians should do: play!
After much foolish, liberating fun the fools entered the Dam square. The welcoming committee was also there: several police cars, horses and even a van with doggies. Some of them tried to take a few fools with them - without success. Also on the Dam square it's only allowed to be silent shoppers. Which is a pitty because the atmosphere on April 1st was great with so many fools that night.
Negotiations with the blue fools followed. After a while fools achieved a deal: we should leave the square and continue the procession without making music and then the police shouldn't follow us... They promised.
The route was now going through the Rokin and naturally the police loved the fools so much they started to follow them again - and to don't disapoint the police the musicians did also do their great job again. It feels so good to have a real foolish deal!
At least 2 police vans blocked the Kalver street near Spui to avoid fools should re-enter. Glad they restored the predictable order! A short statement of the fools followed to thank them for their wonderful effort.
It was after 21.00 - the right moment to go home. But fools were still in a good mood: with great musicians it took almost 1 hour to come home and even there the music didn't stop. Fools reclaimed the streets, reclaimed their lives and fooled around till deep in the night. It fools so great!
E-Mail: rebelact@ddh.nl 
Website: http://www.rebelact.nl 
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