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by Comrade on February 23rd, 2004

Comrade

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Does the anarchy symbol (an "A" surrounded by a circle) convey any messages of hate?

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  • by Duane Roelands on April 12th, 2004

    Duane Roelands

    Although the origins of the symbol are murky and subject to interpretation, the answer to your question appears to be "no."

    According to Peter Marshall the "circled-A" represents Proudhon's maxim "Anarchy is Order." [Demanding the Impossible p. 558] Peter Peterson also adds that the circle is "a symbol of unity and determination" which "lends support to the off-proclaimed idea of international anarchist solidarity." ["Flag, Torch, and Fist: The Symbols of Anarchism", Freedom, vol. 48, No. 11, pp. 8]

    However, the origin of the "circled-A" as an anarchist symbol is less clear. Many think that it started in the 1970s punk movement, but it goes back to a much earlier period. According to Peter Marshall, "[i]n 1964 a French group, Jeunesse Libertaire, gave new impetus to Proudhon's slogan 'Anarchy is Order' by creating the circled-A a symbol which quickly proliferated throughout the world." [Op. Cit., p. 445] This is not the earliest sighting of this symbol. On November 25 1956, at its foundation in Brussels, the Alliance Ouvriere Anarchiste (AOA) adopted this symbol. Going even further, a BBC documentary on the Spanish Civil War shows an anarchist militia member with a "circled-A" clearly on the back of his helmet. Other than this, there is little know about the "circled-A"s origin.

    Today the circled-A is one of the most successful images in the whole field of political symbolising. Its "incredible simplicity and directness led [it] to become the accepted symbol of the restrengthened anarchist movement after the revolt of 1968" particularly as in many, if not most, of the world's languages the word for anarchy begins with the letter A. [Peter Peterson, Op. Cit., p. 8]

    Comments

    • Wow. I thought it was just mid-80s cult rock.

      Fuzzzy

      by Fuzzzy on April 19th, 2004

    • when he said circled A, I thought he meant a pentagram lol!

      Metacoola

      by Metacoola on December 25th, 2004

    • well, my teacher told me it was like revolting against the government. like not wanting a government. which 1 is true?

      lilbballfrk

      by lilbballfrk on May 3rd, 2005

    • Curious the anarchist's cookbook seems so...Violent.

      Scottythinks

      by Scottythinks on July 20th, 2005

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