Hmmm. Re: the fucking off of tourists, these observations by Bilwet may be of some value still. From (the translator's rough draft of) their *Cracking the Movement* (*Bewegingsleer*): "The Great Victory of the Household Garbage: The Self-Abuse of Nolympics":
'Squatters had experimented before with arguments against so-called
"cityvorming" ... Around the
umpteenth imminent eviction at Singel 114 an "attack with high
sensational value" was committed on "the tourist product Amsterdam." ...
The moment that the tour boat stopped was the signal for the attack:
the paint splashed all around and, more quickly than expected, great
panic ensued among the captain and passengers. A few tourists crawled
under the benches. An American woman screamed, 'So this is nice
Amsterdam.' Tourist-hunting season got off to a turbulent start."
The tour boat action's effect was astonishing. A picture of the boat
amid clouds of smoke made the world press. The residents of Singel 114
gave "international interviews" day in day out about the new
phenomenon of anti-tourism. The "paint and smoke treatment" to the
city's image proved to hit the mark infinitely harder than attacking
objects belonging to the city or the speculators. A few more steps
were undertaken along the same lines, yet despite all surprise people
balked at consistently carrying this strategy through. On the one hand
because they had nothing against tourists per se; they were regularly
"tourist in their own city" (and elsewhere) themselves, and tourists
and tourism were so difficult to separate. On the other hand, these
mediumistic actions took place on such an abstract level that the
direct connection with one's own place and experience was already
getting too tenous.
The good old-fashioned method of throwing stuff was extremely
attractive, but difficult to defend afterward. However concrete, the
action remained too theoretical to bring up with people inside and
outside the scenes. This sort of actions could have nothing whatsoever
to do with a movement which is enlarged by sucking in outsiders.
Tourist actions were aimed at keeping aliens away. The paradox of a
movement which grows because people are deterred is unresolvable. ...'
BILWET on (anti-) tourism
Hmmm. Re: the fucking off of tourists, these observations by Bilwet may be of some value still. From (the translator's rough draft of) their *Cracking the Movement* (*Bewegingsleer*): "The Great Victory of the Household Garbage: The Self-Abuse of Nolympics":
'Squatters had experimented before with arguments against so-called
"cityvorming" ... Around the
umpteenth imminent eviction at Singel 114 an "attack with high
sensational value" was committed on "the tourist product Amsterdam." ...
The moment that the tour boat stopped was the signal for the attack:
the paint splashed all around and, more quickly than expected, great
panic ensued among the captain and passengers. A few tourists crawled
under the benches. An American woman screamed, 'So this is nice
Amsterdam.' Tourist-hunting season got off to a turbulent start."
The tour boat action's effect was astonishing. A picture of the boat
amid clouds of smoke made the world press. The residents of Singel 114
gave "international interviews" day in day out about the new
phenomenon of anti-tourism. The "paint and smoke treatment" to the
city's image proved to hit the mark infinitely harder than attacking
objects belonging to the city or the speculators. A few more steps
were undertaken along the same lines, yet despite all surprise people
balked at consistently carrying this strategy through. On the one hand
because they had nothing against tourists per se; they were regularly
"tourist in their own city" (and elsewhere) themselves, and tourists
and tourism were so difficult to separate. On the other hand, these
mediumistic actions took place on such an abstract level that the
direct connection with one's own place and experience was already
getting too tenous.
The good old-fashioned method of throwing stuff was extremely
attractive, but difficult to defend afterward. However concrete, the
action remained too theoretical to bring up with people inside and
outside the scenes. This sort of actions could have nothing whatsoever
to do with a movement which is enlarged by sucking in outsiders.
Tourist actions were aimed at keeping aliens away. The paradox of a
movement which grows because people are deterred is unresolvable. ...'
... Full text at http://thing.desk.nl/bilwet/Cracking/nolympics.html .