publisher's foreword

and Henk van O s . I have learned much from Jordan Zinovich and my other editors at Autonomedia about the history of anarchism and its developments since the '60s and have hopefully incorporated these valuable lessons in the text of the book. And I benefited from the comments of Hans Plomp and Stephen Snelders, who read the edited manuscript on Autonomedia's behalf. Again, a word of heartfelt thanks is due . Also, thanks to Peter Stansill and David Zane Mairowitz for permission to use materials from their collection BAMN (By Any Means Necessary): Outlaw Manifestos and Ephem era, 1 965-70. I must add that the opinions and conclusions expressed are my own. In no way do they constitute an endorsement of my views on the part of those mentioned above - I am thinking here particularly of my Dutch contacts. It seems to be a point of Batavian pride that no two Dutch people will agree on any matter social or political, so I gracefully accept beforehand the possibility that no one in the Netherlands will be completely in accord with that which I have written about three years of their nation's history.

-Richard Kempton publisher's foreword

Provo: Amsterdam's Anarchist Revolt is another title in Autonomedia's ongoing exploration of Dutch resistance movements: previously, The Devil's Anarchy (2005) examined early Dutch piracy, and Cracking the Movement ( 1994) chronicled the Dutch squatting movement. · While some in our collective cannot imagine modern anarchism without Provo, others only came to understand the movement's impact through researching and editing this book. Provo is a legendary movement whose creative energy, successes, and failures helped shape the anarchism that we practice and love today. And while the effects of legends often drift in and out of our everyday lives , they frequently pass unanalyzed. This book brings the history of Provo to the fore so that we can make the connections between the past and present, as well as take note of substantial differences between their historical moment and ours . Our hope for this introductory history of Provo in English audience is that it al-

; lows others to mine Provo's experiments and experiences for inspi=f; ration and strategies . .; Provo's playful combination of theory and street-level prac� tice helped generate the creative and flexible engagement that has .5 become an essential part of our most effective interventions into the increasingly militarized and regulated spaces of our everyday lives . It is part of a hidden history of fleeting moments, outbursts , and insurgencies that connect to form a linked revolutionary history, one which often remains secret even to those who make it.

Many people involved in Provo likely were not aware of the ways in which previous revolutionary traditions informed them, and likewise, Provo has " invisibly" informed current practices of creative resistance. This book hopes to uncover parts of the hidden history that we're already embodying and living through even if we're not totally aware of it. Provo initiated the programs of playful street insurrection that we picked up and expanded through events such as Critical

Mass and Reclaim the Streets. The White Housing Plan was an important precursor for the squatting movement that emerged in Amsterdam and elsewhere in Europe, eventually spreading to North

America. Furthermore, the White Bicycles intervention, which

Amsterdam authorities had seen as such a threat, is now copied around the world and are often sponsored and funded by municipal authorities . But such tactics are only the beginning o f what w e can learn from Provo. The Proves found ways to expand temporary autonomous zones into a sustainable movement that were based on collective processes, critical reflection, and an impulse towards action.

Rather than isolating the spheres of contemplation, politics, protest, and play, they valued informed theories that generated new practices through critical reflection. There is much to learn from the particular ways they worked these levels simultaneously. Even the death of Provo was a strategic move stemming from a consensus-based process of self-reflection. It was initiated by the movement itself: when the Proves realized that their cohesion was waning, they determined that dispersal was more strategic than continuation. Their conscious choice of public dissolution demonstrated Provo's true vitality. That choice enabled them to join and inspire other groups , and we need only scrutinize the foundations of the practices of resistance in Amsterdam today to recognize the continuing impact they have. Provo does not stand alone. It lies embedded in a matrix of earlier movements, as well as countless later layerings . There is clear evidence that the 1 968 Paris activists borrowed from Provo's successes. So even the Situationists - who are often canonized

within various radical milieus - owe a debt to the creative Provo activists who played with the political potential of aesthetics. It is sometimes surprising to realize that our histories are so incomplete, and a project like this by no means completes the history of Provo. In the DIY spirit, we take this opportunity to encourage others to pick up this thread and explore it on their own. For instance, any future work must include a feminist analysis - on our part we have not even managed to provide a translation of the anti-patriarchy initiatives outlined in the White Wives Plan. Deeper studies of the relationships between Provo and the other political and anti-war movements in Amsterdam would also add a great deal to our understanding of the movement. A closer examination of how Provo organized itself, and whether the social initiatives they developed emerged from innovative ways of working together, would also be a welcome avenue of research. Nevertheles s , we hope that this small compilation that includes narrative texts, appended speculations and documents, illustrations, a map, and an extensive annotated bibliography will encourage further analysis of Provo's strengths and weaknesses. In the spirit of Provo this project was collectively produced , with sustained input from Lindsay Caplan, Josh McPhee, B e n Meyers, Erika Biddle, Hans Plomp, Stephen Snelders, Spencer Sunshine, Stevphen Shukaitis, and Jordan Zinovich. Richard Kempton sent us an uncut gem. We're proud of the flawed j ewel our combined efforts produced. May this contribution to our secret history from below prove viral, infecting others with the urge to follow Provo's lead.