Provo (magazine)

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PROVO
City council election logo
description Publication of the Provo movement
Area of ​​Expertise Counterculture, anarchism
language Dutch
First edition May 12, 1965
attitude March 30, 1967
Frequency of publication irregular
Sold edition An average of 5000 copies
editor Editorial collective
Article archive Provo Archief

The magazine Provo (" Provo ", derived from Provocation ) was an anarchist publication of the Provo movement in the Netherlands from 1965 to 1967 . In terms of content, Provo mainly published the activities of the Provo movement. The objective was to “ uncover the social and political rules of the game in order to create opportunities for citizens to intervene. To stimulate and motivate citizens to take individual political action. Democratization "(Rob Stolk)

history

Behind the Provo magazine and also the Provo movement there was no fixed organization with leading people, no hierarchy and no paid employees.

The state and its institutions were the greatest criticism of Provo magazine, as they had opportunities to bring about social changes in domestic politics, " but did not make use of them " ( Rob Stolk ). Development aid, environmental pollution, abuse of power, criticism of the international monopoly corporations, but also regional problems such as the rapidly increasing car traffic (related to environmental pollution) in Amsterdam were discussed within the movement and expressed in its publications.

Historically, the Provo movement and its magazine were initially an underground group of a few people who soon became known in the Netherlands and caused a sensation, later also internationally , thanks to their non-violent, provocative and playful demeanor (including the happenings by Robert Jasper Grootveld ) . Unlike the hippies and bums , " the Provos weren't dropouts " from society and the state. The concern and the main motives of the magazine were to expose the social and state rules of the game and the democratization. As a means of action, they wanted to stimulate the public and motivate citizens to take individual, political actions. About 14 Provos wrote and edited for the magazine, in addition there were about 100 activists who participated in the design and sold the magazine on the street

Peace demonstration in the USA

prehistory

In May 1965 a circular to the Dutch media announced the appearance of the magazine PROVO with the words: “ PROVO is faced with a choice: insurgent resistance or patient demise. PROVO calls for an uprising wherever possible. PROVO recognizes that we are the losers in the end, but we do not miss the opportunity to provoke society properly again. PROVO sees anarchism as a source of inspiration for the uprising. PROVO wants to renew anarchism and bring it to the youth ”. Instead of the planned Provo magazine, five issues of a leaflet appeared under the name "Provokatie".

Provocacy No. 1 , May 12, 1965. The content was “It's good that the police are here ”, a parody of the Dutch police's ad campaign for young professionals with a drawing of a policeman knocking around with a baton. Provocacy No. 2 , July 1965. An allegedly National Socialist background of Claus von Amsberg , Princess Beatrix's fiancé, was published. Provocacy No. 3 , July 1965. Contents: Three members of the Dutch royal family were denounced for admiration and ex-membership of National Socialist organizations. On July 3, 1965, the number 3 of Provokation was scattered from a bridge into a tour boat owned by Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg. On July 28, 1965, Provokatie No. 4 was published . Message: " Freedom of the press? PROVO magazine No. 1 seized ”. This was the beginning of an ever increasing circulation. Probably at the beginning of August 1965, Provokatie Nr. 5 appeared with the Provo-Fahrradplan , an article about the increasing car traffic in the inner city of Amsterdam. On August 7th , a bicycle was painted white in the center of Amsterdam, on the Spui ; the " witte Fietsenplan " ("white bicycle plan ") by Luud Schimmelpennink was born. The police confiscated the white bicycle on the grounds that it was not secured with a bicycle chain.

chronology

PROVO No. 1 (July 12, 1965) was published as a magazine with an edition of five hundred (500) copies. The content consisted, among other things, of the " Introduction to provocative thinking " by Roel van Duijn . In addition, a reprint from the beginning of the 20th century was published with the title “ The practical anarchist ”; with recipes for making explosives. The expected police reaction came soon: house searches , seizures and arrests. The satirical publication in No. 1 went too far for the state officials: " We are offering the readers a small bomb to get in the mood ". An ignition plate was attached to the corresponding side with an adhesive strip . The “instructions for use” followed with the words: “ Put this page on a hard surface and hit the ignition plate with a hard object. The bang and smell is enough to turn an unexpected bourgeoisie reader into a staunch anarchist terrorist ”.

On July 28, 1965, PROVO No. 2 was published. This time already with an edition of 2100 copies with lots of information and photos about the happenings. Anti- colonialism happenings were held and the weekly Saturday happenings continued. The sudden increase in circulation from five hundred copies (No. 1) to two thousand and one hundred (No. 2) was thanks to the police. Four hundred of the printed No. 1 were seized and one hundred distributed. This attracted so much attention and interest that the print run could be increased.

PROVO No. 3 was published on October 22nd with an edition of two thousand three hundred (2300) copies. Since this issue, the license plates of the wanted police have been published regularly. The police themselves switched to other measures: less violence, more arrests. Judges sentenced arrested activists to prison terms of up to eight weeks for traffic disruptions, insulting state authority and performing happenings in public places.

Also in October 1965, PROVO No. 4 came out with a circulation of five thousand (5000). This increase in circulation continued with the following editions up to twenty thousand (20,000) copies.

The Spui square

Seven arrested Provos were temporarily banned by the judge from entering the Spui (small square in downtown Amsterdam). He forgot that a demonstrator lived on the Spui.

On December 18, 1965, PROVO No. 5 appeared. Protesters broke into the American consulate and Peter Bronkhorst burned an American flag . Demonstrators who protested on the street with banners saying “ No monarchy, we want a republic ” were arrested. The subject of freedom of expression was now discussed, also in public. On December 12, 1965, a sit-in against the Vietnam War was held in front of the American consulate with the participation of the Provos .

In PROVO No. 6 (January 24, 1966) an article was published with the “rumor” that the Provos would add the drug LSD to the Amsterdam drinking water system in March of that year . This led to strong security and a new law. So far, LSD has not been banned under Dutch law. The No. 6 reported that since then the drug has been classified as dangerous and has been banned by law.

PROVO No. 7 was probably published in February or March. All remaining PROVO issues were again confiscated by the police and street vendors arrested. Fifteen thousand (15,000) members of the armed forces, five thousand (5000) military police officers, three thousand (3000) police officers, one thousand seven hundred (1700) members of the state police and two thousand five hundred (2500 ) stood at the wedding of Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg as a precautionary measure, among other things because of the provo movement and its actions ) Security agents ready. The Provos' “anti-wedding present” was just a smoke bomb .

Arrests followed for an attempt to give a speech for a demonstration against the Vietnam War at the weekly happenings , reported PROVO No. 8 on April 16, 1966. The Vietnam Action Group , supported by the Provos, held a silent demonstration every third Sunday of the month against the Vietnam War. The protesters made no noise, walked on the sidewalk and obeyed traffic rules.

The number 9 of PROVO (May 12, 1966) reported that the number of Provo activists and interested parties increased with the large number of leaflets, circulars, brochures and the Provo magazine. Protest actions, happenings or demonstrations took place almost every day. PROVO decided to take part in the city ​​council elections. Her motto was: Choose PROVO and you will keep laughing.

At the end of June and beginning of July PROVO No. 10 appeared. Because of the now existing ban on demonstrations, the Provo movement advocated “Freedom for Demonstration” and held a demonstration in which all participants wore white (sometimes sheets) towels. Police arrested some demonstrators for wearing bed sheets in public. On June 14, there was a construction workers' strike , which resulted in violent clashes with the police and a dead construction worker.

PROVO No. 11, August 15th. In addition to the PROVO magazine, the cartoon magazine “ God, Nederland & Oranje ” (“God, the Netherlands & the Princely House”) and the Sunday paper “Image” were also published at regular intervals . Thirty Provos published their first and last names in the magazine "God, Nederland & Oranje" and took responsibility . In the winter of 1966, the Provos of Amsterdam organized some gatherings on Saturday evenings and proclaimed the mayor " Best Provo Publicity Man 1966 ".

" Provo is an image " proclaimed PROVO No. 12 in October 1966. The first "International Provo Council" was held in Limburg . No Provo issues appeared in November and December 1966. During an action in front of the Spanish consulate, a stone, a pistol and a letter were thrown through a window. Reason: Five Spanish left-wing political activists had been sentenced to death.

PROVO No. 13, January 10, 1967. Contents: Some Provos stole around ten thousand (10,000) copies of the Dutch national defense magazine “ In Dienst ” from the “Oranje Nassau barracks”. A group formerly affiliated with the Provos called the Revolutionary Terrorist Committee ended their activities and recommended that the Provos do the same. Also in 1967: Provos held a public " Smoke-In " in New York's Tompkins Square Park ; over four thousand (4000) teenagers allegedly consumed three kilos of marijuana in the presence of the police.

PROVO No. 14 was published in mid-February 1967. The "International Day of Anarchy" was celebrated in various European cities. International protest demonstrations against the Vietnam War in Paris, Tokyo, London, Berlin and Amsterdam. Two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) protesters allegedly besieged the Pentagon .

The last issue of PROVO, No. 15, came out on March 30, 1967. In a court hearing, the judge called a Provo houseboat a “ hotbed of crime ”. The boat served as a refuge for homeless Provos and runaway youngsters. The boat could be bought through the sale of books written by Hans Tuynman and Duco van Weerlee.

Provo magazines nationally and internationally

Provo magazine in Amsterdam found successors in seventeen (17) cities in the Netherlands. Among other things in The Hague " Lynx "; in Rotterdam “ Desperado ”; “ Ontbijt op Bed ” (“Breakfast in Bed”) in Maastricht; in Groningen “ Scandal ”; in Utrecht " Volte ". In addition, nine Provo magazines abroad, including in Belgium : “ Revo ” in Antwerp; “ Eindelijk ” in Ghent; in Brussels " Provo ". Also in Milan “ Provo ”. Then “ New York Provo ”, “ Provo London ”, “ Provo Los Angeles ”. " Provo " in Czechoslovakia and " Provo Curaçao ".

Between 1965 and 1968 a total of about one hundred and thirty (130) issues of the various Provo magazines appeared in the Netherlands. The company's own printing plants, which were set up in many cities, were important for the production or printing and distribution of the magazines. Tijl Uilenspiegel (Till Eulenspiegel) in Alkmar; in Arnhem Stadsdrukkerij (city printing works); Argus in Rotterdam; in Breda Salsedo and in Amsterdam De Brandweervrouw (The Firefighter) and many others. By being self-employed with their own printing works, the Provos and like-minded groups were not dependent on other, purely commercial printing works.

In Germany there was probably only one Provo magazine that was directly related to the Dutch Provo movement. Title: "Peng", Subtitle: "Provozeitschrift"; Ed .: Detlef Altemeyer, Wuppertal, from 1966 to around 1979. This was the only journal in the journal bibliography of the counterculture from 1950–1980 compiled by Udo Pasterny .

Some German-language magazines should be mentioned here that acted and had an influence similar to the Provo magazine: Der Metzger , Ed .: Helmut Loeven, Duisburg; has been published since 1968 and still exists. Germania , Ed .: Bernd Brummbär , Frankfurt / M., From 1971–1972; Circulation: fifteen thousand (15,000) Hotcha , Ed .: Urban Gwerder , Zurich, from 1968–1971.

The Vondelpark in summer

In the two years of its existence, Provo magazine had generated a lot of buzz, as a result, more and more Provos believed they should end the magazine and the movement. Their objective: to denounce abuses in society and politics, to provoke them, to stimulate citizens to think and to motivate them to act, was achieved. In Amsterdam's Vondelpark , Rob Stolk announced the dissolution of the Provo movement on May 13, 1967. The last issue of Provo magazine appeared on March 30, 1967. “Now the citizens had to get creative themselves” ( Rob Stolk ).

See also

Anarchism in the Netherlands

further reading

  • Niek Pas: IMAAZJE. De Verbeelding van Provo (1965-1967). Wereldbibliothek, Amsterdam 2003, ISBN 90-284-2014-2 . Information about Provo movement and Provos, including: Roel van Duijn, Peter Bronkhorst, Robert Jasper Grootveld , Rob Stolk, van de Weetering.
  • Marie Elvire Louise de Koning, FM Mijnlieff: Onlusten in Amsterdam 1965-1967. Uitgeverij Platijnstraat, The Hague 1991, ISBN 90-399-0179-1 .
  • Ulcus Molle Info (Ed.): Josef Wintjes . No. 11/12, 1971, p. 13. Information about the magazine “Germania”. And ulcus molle info. No. 7/8 1971, p. 9. Information about the magazine "Hotcha".
  • Gerhard Kaubisch: Provos. Interview with Rob Stolk . In: J. Gehret (Ed.), Counterculture Today. The alternative movement from Woodstock to Tunix . Pages 49 to 52. Verlag Azid Presse, Amsterdam 1979. ISBN 90-70215-03-9

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See on this: G. Kaubisch: Provos. Interview with Rob Stolk . In. J. Gehret, Counterculture Today . Page 51 [After quotation: lower case letters]
  2. ↑ In Provo No. 2 : “ De decentralisatie, het individualistic character en de openheid van Provo vormden tevens een redelijk effectieve beveiliging tegen infiltraties. Within Provo you will be informed about everything, maar door het ontbreken van een centrale suffering of een 'democratische structuur' what het niet nodig om plan voor verboden acties with other te discuss then with degenen he was directly affected by the initiatiefnemer ( s) be fully trusted. Dat he geen sprake was van een central suffering of a secret core within Provo was voor de politie en de veiligheidsdiensten nauwelijks begrijpelijk ”. There was no central management, no democratic structure and no hierarchy. R. Stolk and Rv Duijn had the idea to publish the magazine. Furthermore, the publication was carried out by an editorial collective. Everyone could participate. From the Gramschap website . Dutch, accessed May 15, 2011
  3. ↑ Quote from: Gerhard Kaubisch, Provos. Interview with Rob Stolk . In: J. Gehret, Counterculture Today. The alternative movement from Woodstock to Tunix . Page 50
  4. ^ Author: Klaus Farin, Swinging Sixties . Federal Agency for Civic Education , accessed on May 15, 2011
  5. ↑ See on this: Coen Tasman: Provos. Libertarian movements in the Netherlands since 1965 . In: Grassroots Revolution No. 258, April 2001
  6. ^ Provo Chronology. Circular for the publication of Provo magazine . Dutch, accessed May 15, 2011
  7. ^ Author: Wolfgang Kraushaar, " Notes on a Chronology of the Student Movement " . Retrieved May 15, 2011
  8. ^ Author: Wolfgang Kraushaar, "Notes on a Chronology of the Student Movement" . Retrieved May 15, 2011
  9. ↑ Chronology of the Provo magazine . The information on the content of the individual Provo issues comes from this chronology on the Gramschap website . Dutch, accessed May 15, 2011
  10. ↑ Author: Tjeppe van Tijen . Information about each of the Provo magazines. Dutch, accessed May 15, 2011
  11. ↑ Im Archief Provo . In the IISG (Amsterdam). Provo magazines: Provo Londen, Provo Curacao, Provo New York, Provo Tsjechoslowakije, Provo Milaan, Provo Los Angeles
  12. ↑ Author: Tjeppe van Tijen . Information and statistics on Provo magazines. Dutch, accessed May 15, 2011
  13. ↑ Udo Pasterny / Jens Gehret (eds.): German-language bibliography of counterculture. Books and magazines from 1950–1980 . Azid Presse, Amsterdam 1982. ISBN 90-70215-10-1
  14. ^ "Germania" magazine . In the database of German-speaking anarchism . Retrieved May 15, 2011
  15. ↑ Article from May 13, 2007. Einde provo ludieke happening . Dutch, accessed January 8, 2013. (The Provo Movement and the magazine came to the conclusion that there was no point in further provoking. Their objective of denouncing grievances had been achieved)
  16. ↑ See on this: Gerhard Kaubisch: Provos. Interview with Rob Stolk . In: J. Gehret (Ed.): Counter culture today. The alternative movement from Woodstock to Tunix. Page 52
  17. ↑ Quotation from: G. Kaubisch, Provos. Interview with Rob Stolk . Page 52. In: J. Gehret, Gegenkultur heute . The alternative movement from Woodstock to Tunix