Anarchistic symbolism

The symbolism of anarchism makes it possible to represent the ideals of the anarchism. But generally, it represents less the anarchistic movement than the movement Anarchist-punk in general.

A  encircled

Description

It is about a “has” capital surrounded by a circle. The has represents the first letter of the word anarchy (or anarchism ). Who more is, the word anarchy starts with this same letter in many languages, which makes an internationally recognizable symbol of it. The circle symbolizes the unit, but also the determination. Many anarchistic groups show a spirit of solidarity with other groups, although they are distant geographically and by various designs from anarchism. The symbol is a kind of incarnation of the maxim of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: “ the highest perfection of the company is in the union of the order and anarchy ” (in What the property? ). The latter, one of the precursors of the anarchistic movement, at the 19th century, is also known for expressions such as “ the property, it is the flight ”. In the symbol, the “ O ” could represent the order.

History

The creation date of the symbol is discussed. One starts to see it at the time of the civil war in Spain (1936 - 1939). It is actually about the image of a bearing anarchistic militant this sign with the back of its helmet.

The November 25th 1956, the anarchistic group working Alliance makes of this ringed its symbol official.

Certain sources say that the libertarian group Jeunesse would have invented the symbol in 1964, in the newspaper of young Parisian anarchists. But this assumption is to be considered with precaution, because the symbol was seen a long time before.

Many thinks that the ringed was born with the movement Anarchist-punk, which belongs to the movement punk rock'n'roll, born at the end of the years 1970. In all the cases, this punk movement undoubtedly strongly contributed to the diffusion of the symbol, even near the not-anarchists.

Modifications made by the movement Anarchist-punk

The artist who draws A  encircled often improves it for better appearing the anarchistic ideals. Generally, it is drawn by a show of hands, without instruments of tracing. Since anarchism is the rejection of the pre-established order, the symbol has voluntarily approximate lines, contrary to the other symbols.

The horizontal bar of the “ has ” is often through, and exceeds on the sides. The five ends of the letter exceed circle, even if its center remains well in the center of this circle. Final, the sign resembles the Pentagramme.

From time to time, the symbol is drawn as if it were in flames or splashes of blood. It is often drawn in red letters on black bottom since these colors are associated with the anarchistic movement (since more than one century).

These last choices of design can be due probably to the nonfounded association of anarchy with the satanism. It frequently happens that the symbol is drawn by people rejecting the authority in general. Traditionally, the western world was placed under the authority of Christianity, therefore while revolting, anarchistic youth represents the opposite of Christianity, without to represent the satanism since the anarchists do not believe in any divine or démoniaque presence.

The movement Anarchist-punk adopts A  strongly encircled stylized. Nevertheless, the anarchists acting in the political arena do not embellish the symbol as much, even do not use it at all. Some even estimate that the symbol was marketed by a handle of artists wishing to sell their works, being concerned little with what that would bring to the initial anarchistic movement.

One often finds the symbol taggé on the walls of the cities.

The black flag

Before its use by the anarchists

The black flag is used as of the 18th century by the Pirate S, unlike the Corsaire S which normally sail under house. It thus represents already a sign of insubordination with respect to the States. It is not uniformly black; let us recall that at the time the majority of the flags are more complex than today. It represents a sign of dead:
  • a death's-head on cross tibiae
  • a sand glass
  • a skeleton.

It is taken again at the time of the revolt of the Canut S (workmen of silk) of Lyon in 1831.

Description

The black is associated with the anarchistic movement since the years 1880. Moreover, of many groups keep the black word in their official designation. Many anarchistic newspapers were entitled Black Flag ( Black Drapeau ), as well as certain groups of music Punk (the group Black Flag for example).

This color represents the international side of the movement, which rejects any political tendency. By extension, the white Drapeau symbolizes the capitulation vis-a-vis the enemy, the black flag meaning all the opposite.

History

The anarchistic movement is born, as a component of the labor movement as of its birth in the years 1840. The movement structure gradually, and in 1864 is born in London the International association from the Workers, whose emblem is the red flag.

However, very quickly, of the tensions appear between anarchists on a side (whose most known representative is Bakounine) and Socialists authoritative of the other (behind Marx). After the crushing of the Commune of Paris in 1871, the red flag is prohibited by the young restored French Republic. In addition the scission between anarchists and Marxists is consumed with the Congress of HAS in 1872. HAS gradually will disappear in the years which follow.

But the anarchists continue their combat against the injustice and for freedom. The black flag made its first appearance " officielle" in the manifestation of the unemployed persons to the Invalids in Paris, on March 9th, 1883, at the time of a meeting organized by the trade union of the carpenters. Louise Michel raises there, for the first time, an improvised flag, starting from an old black underskirt fixed on a handle at brush. (to read the defense of the black flag that it made at the time of its lawsuit)

The newspaper the Black Flag , appeared in 1882, is one of the first publications of the movement to use the black like symbol. The name of the anarchistic group London founded in July 1881 is Black International .

At the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the group of Nestor Makhno is more known under the name of Black Army ( the black army ). Their flag is black until their fall vis-a-vis the Red Army . Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionist of the years 1910, uses the printed black flag of a cranium and cross bones as well as an image of the Virgin Mary. Its slogan is Tierra there Libertad ( Ground and Liberté ). In 1925, the Japanese anarchists create the Black Youth League (black League of youth). Lastly, in 1945, this last calls its newspaper Kurohata ( Black Drapeau ).

Recently, at the time of the demonstrations of May 1968, the Parisian students adopt this same black flag, also decorated of red. The same year, this same flag is used by the group Students for has Democratic Society ( Étudiants for an democratic society ) at the time of their national convention. At the same time, an English group created its newspaper, also called Black Flag , which exists always today.

Other anarchistic symbols

A  encircled and the black flag are the first symbols of anarchism. Nevertheless, a certain number of groups develop their own symbols. In particular a very small community of young anarchists in France added a drawn up rabbit ear and one twisted on the ringed original.

The red and black flag

The red and black flag is the symbol of the Anarcho-syndicalisme, and some anarchist-Communists uses it too. This last fact part of the movement trade unionist mixing the Socialisme and the Anarchisme (what explains the mixture of the two colors).

The two colors are represented with shares equal, and separated by the diagonal. They symbolize the cohabitation between the two ideals of the two movements.

One of these most known groups is Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) in Spain, which exists still today. Associated with Iberian anarchistic Federation (FAI), it is one of the most active actors of the Spanish anarchistic movement at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. This group takes again the red and black flag, with the initial ones of the two organizations. CNT is on the red, and FAI on the black.

The red and black flag is used today in France by the CNT (National confederation of Work) and Alternative libertarian, the anarchistic Fédération sticking to the traditional black flag.

The black cross

In the beginning, the group Anarchist Black Cross (or ABC) militates for the removal of the prisons. It supports the political prisoners. They use this cross, in reference to the international Mouvement of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, international humanitarian organization also committed in the fight near the political prisoners.

The Shoe

The shoe was used symbolically by the anarchists at the 19th century (idea in particular developed by Emile Pouget for the lowering of work at 8 A.m. per day) and at the beginning of the 20th century (although this symbol is not used any more today). The word shoe is probably the root of the word Sabotage: the workers who wanted a leave, or who wanted to fight against the owner in an insidious way, threw certainly a shoe in the machines of a factory or of a farm and did not work any more until the machine is repaired, putting in difficulty the owner.

With Philadelphia, there exists an anarchistic bookstore which is called Wooden Shoe (translation of shoe).

Libertatis Æquilibritas

Libertatis Æquilibritas , “the balance of Latin freedoms”, is the symbol of the Anarchist-capitalism. It is a mixture of A  encircled, of the symbol Yin and Yang, and of that of the Dollar. Encircled symbolizes independence compared to a controlled State, the “Yin and Yang” represents the balance of the Libre market, and the dollar symbolizes the Capitalisme and the Private property. It was created by Bylund and was diffused near the anarchist-capitalists groups. Anarchist-capitalism is distinguished from the traditional anarchistic movements by its liberal justification which is neither resulting from the Marxist thought nor resulting from the traditional anarchistic thought, and are not opposed consequently to capitalism, but on the contrary wishes to support it thanks to the abolition of the State.

Many anarchists anti-capitalists thus reject the concept of anarchist-capitalism as a form of anarchism, because they estimate that the anarchistic company is incompatible with the private property of the means of production and the vision of the free-market of the anarchist-capitalists. From this point of view, Libertatis Æquilibritas is not an anarchistic symbol.

Christian anarchism

The made-to-order of the traditional anarchistic symbol, that of Christian anarchism is the letter alpha (A) placed inside the letter omega (Ω).

The letters alpha and omega (AΩ) are the symbol of the Eternal.

“I am alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Apocalypse. 22:13

“… I am the first and I am the last, and out me there is God.” Book of Isaïe 44:6

The Christian primitive Church will take again readily the symbol of alpha and the omega by engraving them on the oil lamps.

Today, certain Christian movements as the Jesus Freaks use this symbol.

See too

Related articles

External bonds

  • the true story of the Black Flag and of “”
  • a FAQ of anarchist - appendix 2 - the symbols of anarchy
  • is ringed ringed a message of hatred?
  • a history of the black flag of the pirates
  • Gallery of anarchistic images
  • Louise Michel and the black flag
  • Notes on the history of the red and black flag

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