8 . afte rmat h of t h e batt l e :
t h e g rad ual d e c l i n e and d eat h of p r ovo (j u n e 15, 1966-may 14, 1967)
I t i s far simpler t o chart the gestation and birth o f Provo than to untangle the threads of its gradual demise , fit fully chronicled in the Dutch press through late 1 966 and early 1 967. Nevertheles s , to understand why Provo died, why its magic failed, we must follow the movement 's last eleven months . Van Duyn wrote his important book, Het witte gevaar (The White Danger) in November of 1 96 6 . He views the timeframe that followed in the wake of the June 1 4th riots as a period of inertia in which all demonstrations were doomed to become repetitive and anti-climactic. The Happenings , demonstrations , and arrests contin ued, but they failed to break new ground. The Provos were unable to generate any effective and innovative new imagery, they couldn't reshape oppressive authority in a fo rm that both enraged the nozem Monster of Amsterdam and engaged the working population of the city, and they failed to outline a new trajectory of provocation. Even Robert Jasper Grootveld, who returned to Amsterdam from Italy in August, two months after the riots , could not come up with a novel perspective . Van Duyn says simply, " We aimed too short . " The post-riot tensions didn't cool off immediately. Two ma j or forces still opposed one another. The anti-Vietnam War peace movement continued filling the city's streets with demonstrations for another month, stirring political passions and continuing the fight between protesters and police . Provo activity continued through the summer and autumn of 1 9 6 6 with particular focus on demon strations protesting the war, though by that time other groups had taken leadership of the peace movement. In its survey of the period from June 23rd to July 1 0th 1 96 6 , Elsevier's Weekblad noted that the police and national military police arrested 295 people in 18 days . The charges included disturbing the peace , failure to disperse , and participation in a prohibited demonstration against the Vietnam War. Most of those arrested belonged to seven youth groups , in cluding Provo , Rode Jeugd (Red Youth), the Students Union, and
•••••• p rovo: amsterdam 's anarc hist revolt • 105
