LIZ SAYS: Walking along the Amstel river in Amsterdam, across from the water entrance of the Netherlands branch of the hermitage, we encountered yellow and black striped caution tape.
There were Politie vans and the familiar yellow and white vested city police, on the water there were floating sign wielding water bikes.
It had all the hallmarks of a manif (protest/March) in Paris. Only this was Amsterdam and what’s with the helicopter that keeps flying overhead?
The caution tape read, “Do not frighten President Putin, Keep this area human rights free”. The boats read, “Punk Bands Prohibited”, “No Gay Propaganda” and it slowly began to dawn on me, Hermitage, anti-Putin signs, rainbow flags lining the canal? Could it be?
The flashing blue lighted cycles pulled up in pairs, the black on black speeding sedans abruptly stopped. Putin was visiting the Hermitage, there was a show on Peter the Great.
Amsterdam was just saying, “Hi”, to Putie, by waving rainbow flags and brandishing big banners of sarcasm. Yeah!
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