Profanum MC 1% is a worldwide motorcycle club established in 2019, present on several continents, notably in Europe and Latin America.
The History of the 1% Patch
The story begins on July 4, 1947, during a motorcycle rally in the town of Hollister, California, organized to celebrate U.S. Independence Day. The event was expected to attract about 1,000 bikers, but it received wide publicity, and it’s said that around 4,000 bikers ended up flooding the small town of Hollister.
As with any large gathering (especially one involving bikers), there was a lot of alcohol, and things started to get out of hand. There were no deaths or mass assaults, but racing took place on the main street, and public property was damaged. Alongside typical « posers » with their girlfriends were war veterans, travelers, thugs, and rowdy, grimy bikers. So far, nothing too alarming.
The local police got involved and made about 50 arrests for disturbing the peace, drunk driving, and other minor offenses. A few people were injured, mostly lightly, with very few serious cases. Still, nothing that serious.
Once the chaos had settled, a journalist named Barney Peterson arrived and took the now-famous photo of Eddie Davenport, a biker visibly drunk, holding a beer while sitting on his motorcycle (the photo mentioned earlier in the text). The picture was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle, where it was published alongside a sensationalized article talking about terrorism and chaos, even referring to the women with the bikers as ladies of easy virtue. Shortly after, the photo also appeared in Life magazine under the headline:
« Cyclist’s Holiday: He and Friends Terrorize Town. »
This marked the beginning of the controversy.
The media turned against the bikers, and even some politicians began labeling motorcyclists as troublemakers, antisocial, and criminal. The public started to fear anyone on two wheels.
The AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) tried to defend the motorcyclists, but did so in the worst possible way, stating that those who caused the chaos in Hollister represented only 1% of bikers.
And that’s when the legend was born, along with the 1% patch.
At first, the bikers who were arrested on that July 4 in Hollister made their own patches, but over time, this patch became a symbol for bikers who don’t care for laws, are antisocial, anti-system, and, in short, rebels