Circle-A

The circle-A or anarchist A, written as Ⓐ, is a graphic and political symbol representing the anarchist movement and ideology. Seeking a symbol that could easily represent the entire movement, it was conceptualized in April 1964 by the Libertarian Youth group of Paris. It was made on the initiative of Tomás Ibáñez, and was graphically represented by René Darras. The symbol initially remained confidential in France for a few years before spreading to Italy, especially to Milan, in 1968. Starting in the early 70s, the circle-A spread across Italy, France, and then throughout the world.

Its simplicity to draw, its unifying nature, and its synthetic appearance led it to become a central symbol of anarchism in a relatively short period of time. Notably, it was not promoted by any single organization but was autonomously adopted by the anarchist movement, since it was well-suited for purposes of political propaganda and rallying.

The circle-A is partly responsible for the generational renewal that affected the anarchist movement between the last years of the 20th century and the first half of the 21st century, allowing a movement that was losing momentum to rejuvenate itself by finding a new, unifying, and recognizable symbol. Since its creation, it has been derived into numerous forms.

One of the most famous of these evolutions is the 'punk' version, where the lines of the A extend beyond the circle. The circle-A is now present in a significant part of the world and acts as a unifying sign among anarchists from many different places.