The word “adorable” often isn’t associated with anarchism. But WTF, why not?

After all, so many anarchist experiments fling open windows into just how sweet the world could and should be.

Take yesterday’s anarchist zine fair on a snowy day in Tio’tia:ke/Montreal as an example.

The minute one entered the door of the homey cafe that hosted the fest for free, two tables of free literature warmly greeted you, including ones explaining anarchism—under the red-and-black homemade sign pictured here. Yet so did the tablers themselves—circled up cozily by the big front windows of the cafe, with the sounds and smells of coffee in the background.

Indeed, an air of anarcho-friendliness seemed to pervade the space. There was as much, or more, socializing than shopping, perhaps because many of the zines were free, pay-what-you-can, or cheap. Folks seemed intent on having political conversations, introducing folks to each other or catching up with friends, and excitedly sharing something they’d newly designed or newly written, or both.

The fair was small, so it had a certain intimacy about it. It helped that the tablers didn’t present an overwhelm of zines but instead curated their selection based on their own passions. You felt like you got a sense of each person tabling even if you didn’t know them simply by looking at their offerings. You could take time to meander around the tables, without that frantic feeling of some zine/book fairs that you’ll miss out if you don’t rush. And that slowness seemed to aid the social glue.

Same for workshops; there were only three of them, and the third happened after the zines were stowed away at the fair’s end, so that everyone could join together.

Maybe we anarchists are just so starved for such spaces, that any of them feel precious (true), and we anarchists are thus more open and friendly, if only from the high of going to such events (true too). Still, deciding to do a small fest in a comfy space at a time of year when folks don’t see each other as much, and making it so welcoming and adorable, showed care on the part of the organizers.

And WTF, we can all definitely use some sweetness these days.

#AnarchismIsAdorable
#TryAnarchismForLife