CIRCA encyclopedia topics

Circa (often abbreviated c., ca., ca or cca. and sometimes italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" or "around". It is widely used in genealogy and historical writing, when the dates of events are approximately known.

For example, an encyclopedia entry for Genghis Khan may begin with "Genghis Khan (c. 1162 – August 18, 1227)", suggesting that he was born in or around the year 1162. Note that the year of his death appears as a concrete date suggesting that there is definite evidence that this is when he died.

When used in date ranges, a circa is applied before each approximate date, while dates without a circa immediately preceding them are generally assumed to be known with certainty.

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Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army

The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (or CIRCA or Smile LiberAtion Front) is a United Kingdom-based anti-authoritarian left-wing activist group that uses clowning and other non-violent actions to challenge corporate globalisation, war and similar actions that the group opposes.

CIRCA emerged out of the direct action movement and has participated in protests against George W Bush's visit to the UK in 2003 and demonstrations against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The group was particularly prominent in many of the actions organised around the 31st G8 summit held in Gleneagles during 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 its actions: the clown personal can be used to defuse tense situations and engage with police in public order situations. In order to learn this 'recruits' must 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 organization 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, Germany and Israel, and many other groups have appeared that have been inspired by the work of the original group.