Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army
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The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army or CIRCA is a United Kingdom-based left-wing anti-authoritarian activist group that uses the ancient traditions of clowning combined with the modern art of non violent direct action to challenge corporate globalisation, war and other things they see as injustices.
CIRCA emerged out of the direct action movement and have participated in protests against George W Bush's visit to the UK in 2003; demonstrations against the 2003 invasion of Iraq; they were particularly prominent in many of the actions organised around the 31st G8 summit held in Gleneagles in July 2005.
Those participating in CIRCA actions typically dress in military-style camouflage clothing supplemented with brightly coloured trimmings and political logos. The costumes both create a comical atmosphere and serve to maintain anonymity, which can be very useful in protest situations. 'Armaments' are usually limited to feather dusters, although some carry water pistols. The complete ensemble of the costume and traditional clown make-up (usually consisting of a white face and red nose) creates a sense of ridiculousness which seeks to challenge preconceptions of radical activists.
CIRCA claims that there is more to the Army than simply dressing up and messing around. There is also a psychology which informs their action. This utilises the clown persona to defuse tense situations and engage with police in public order situations. In order to learn this "recruits" have to participate in a training workshop before deployment.
In an article about the G8 protests, the Edinburgh Evening News described CIRCA as "an anarchist splinter group," but a member of the organisation denied this, claiming that while some members would describe themselves as anarchists "...most would consider themselves 'horizontalists' where we engage people without the need for leaders."
The Clown Army now has active groups in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark and Germany and many other groups have appeared that have been inspired by the work of the original group.
