Whoever they vote for, we are ungovernable,” reads the banner tacked to the balcony of the Pulaski Park Field House on May 11. This sets the mood for the anarchist book fair taking place within its doors, part of Matches and Mayhem 2002.

Matches and Mayhem is an annual three-day “celebration of anarchist culture and struggle,” as the fliers said. Including a film festival, an anarchist book fair, debates, a variety show and a soccer tournament, it runs the gamut from the artsy to the serious to the carefree.

Most people automatically makes grandiose assumptions when they hear the word “anarchism.” An “-ism” pushed to the far fringes of political ideas, “anarchism has a long and powerful history – it just has a bad rap,” said Vic Speedwell, an organizer with the Autonomous Zone at 2129 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. The A-Zone, as it is called, is an 8-year-old “anti-authoritarian community center dedicated to fostering radical change in society,” its Web site reads.

Incorrect beliefs about anarchism abound among those who don’t fully understand its ideas. Like any political group, anarchists cannot be categorized into one lumpen mass. But a few basic principles unite anarchists: Capitalism and the state work together to create social inequality, and social structures need to be smaller. According to anarchists, individuals must have control over their own lives, and bigger governments are never better at serving people’s needs. Though anarchism does not believe in a traditional government, it also does not preclude localized organizations and social structures.

Mainstream thought often equates anarchism with chaos and violence, an assumption that the organizers of this third annual event play with in the event’s title. While many may think of fire when they hear the words “anarchists” and “matches,” Matches and Mayhem actually refers to a soccer tournament integral to the lighthearted feeling of the celebration. “May”-hem takes advantage of the May 10 to 12 weekend while subtly ridiculing the chaotic reference.

“We wanted to keep the event open to anarchists, the anarcho-curious and the anarcho-friendly,” Speedwell said. “We try to make the events very comfortable, familiar and accessible.” Though showcasing anarchist ideals, the event’s politics are not strictly anarchist.

The only restriction is that no booths at the book fair may sell political party materials or propaganda for electoral politics. “We don’t want activities reinforcing a role for the state in our future,” Speedwell said.

At the book fair, an inner and outer circle of booths sold everything from T-shirts to buttons to posters to records to, of course, books – both new and used. Bookstores and public policy groups came from as far away as Denver and Vermont to set up shop, joining the ‘zines, design collectives and union groups already inside the Field House. The literary topics dealt with everything and anything on the political left: feminism, the drug war and the environment. Books by famous authors (and former and future speakers at Northwestern) such as William Upski Wimsatt and Howard Zinn cluttered the tables.

The book fair was certainly not all that Matches and Mayhem had to offer. Two debates on white privilege and nationalism brought anarchists from various viewpoints to the stage to discuss the issues. “We need to practice putting forth our strongest argument rather than simply going for our opposition’s weak point,” Speedwell said.

The event began three years ago, when organizers such as Speedwell at the A-Zone decided to put together a yearly Midwest anarchist event.

Last year, Speedwell estimated that about 600 people circulated through the various events. Previously, events have been scattered across the Chicago area, some at downtown, some near the A-Zone and some on the on the North Side. This year, however, was a personal success for the organizers — all of the events were located within three El stops on the Blue Line. According to Josh, who preferred to be mentioned only by his first name, booths only cost $35 to pay for the Field House’s rental. Josh worked a booth with silk-screened T-shirts and posters. Debates, the bookfair and watching soccer games were all free. The variety show of skits, songs and jokes, and the film festival each cost $5-10, depending on what patrons could pay.

Speedwell said organizers envisioned a place where people with similar ideas could meet and, “make relationships last beyond this.” When organizing the location of each table, she carefully picked who would sit next to and meet one another.

Josh noted that the event served as a relaxing time for everyone.

“In a system where your views are marginalized, it’s valuable to have a space where they are reinforced,” he said. “You always have to justify yourself – it’s nice to have a day when you don’t have to.” nyou