Amsterdam became a cycling city because of protests by residents. In 1970 25 people cycled around Dam Square, in cargo bikes to block traffic, which was then had a large one way system around it. Here it is in 1983 and the same view on streetview

Cargo bikes were chosen to show how silly it was to allow one person to drive to work in a car, when the police told them they needed a permit to protest they said that people driving in a line of cars did not need a permit

In 1974 2000 people cycled to protest that roads were favoured to motorists and cyclists suffered, they cycled past 17 dangerous intersections planting wooden crosses to represent fatalities that has occurred. Weteringschans is now a bicycle street with no through traffic

The same ride occurred in 1975, with 3000 people joined. In 1976 4000 joined and in 1977 9000 joined with a lie down protest on Museumplein, the road there has now been removed

That protest was four days before the city elections. It worked

De Pijp residents demanded a car free Ferdinand Bolstraat in 1975. It is now trams and bicycles only

and a video, nice to hear the sounds of people talking instead of motor traffic