Publico
Publico is a Parisian anarchist bookstore, publishing outlet, and meeting place affiliated with the Fédération anarchiste.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Publico, also known as Librairie Publico, is a specialist bookstore and publishing outlet at 145 rue Amelot in Paris. It focuses on anarchist literature and related political, historical, social, and cultural materials, while also selling audiovisual resources and movement ephemera such as posters, stickers, and other forms of propaganda. The establishment is closely linked to the Fédération anarchiste (FA), the French anarchist organization that founded it, and has long operated as more than a conventional retail shop: it is a meeting point, information center, event venue, and practical infrastructure for anarchist activity in France. The bookstore was established on 18 March 1959 under the name Librairie du Monde libertaire. Its first premises were at 3 rue Ternaux in Paris. In 1981 it moved to its current address on rue Amelot, where it continued to serve the FA and the wider libertarian movement. The shop also operates as a printing facility, allowing it to support the circulation of pamphlets, periodicals, posters, and other movement publications alongside commercially distributed books. Publico maintains connections with Radio Libertaire, the Fédération anarchiste's radio station. The relationship has helped make the premises part of a wider communications and organizing network. During the 1990–1991 Gulf War, the FA, Radio Libertaire, and Publico participated in opposition to French military involvement. The shop also became a point of contact for anarchists who deserted the French army during that period, although the number of people seeking assistance reportedly exceeded the organization's capacity to respond effectively. The premises have hosted political, cultural, and media activity. Between 1984 and 1988, former Publico manager Hervé Trinquier and Radio Libertaire co-founder Jacky-Joël Julien used the bookstore as the headquarters of the Libertarian Theatre of Paris. The venue hosted artists including Léo Ferré. In 2020, Publico hosted Radio Conchita, a feminist radio project serving Spanish expatriates. The bookstore also organizes or supports the Libertarian Book Fair, known in French as the Salon du livre libertaire. Publico's identity is defined by the combination of commerce, political education, and movement participation. Its catalog is primarily anarchist, but it also includes English-language material, reflecting the international and bilingual dimensions of contemporary anarchist publishing. Observers have described the store as a useful resource for people studying anarchist thought and as a place where customers regularly exchange ideas rather than simply purchase books. The organization has an unusual staffing model for an anarchist institution. It employs two salaried booksellers, rather than relying solely on volunteer militants. These employees are professional booksellers who make a political choice to work in the anarchist movement, despite lower pay than comparable positions elsewhere. Publico remains active as a specialist bookstore and publishing-related institution, although detailed current information about its revenue, legal structure, ownership arrangements, and management is not publicly established in the supplied sources.
History
Publico was founded in Paris on 18 March 1959 by the Fédération anarchiste. It initially operated as Librairie du Monde libertaire at 3 rue Ternaux. From its beginning, the bookstore was intended to distribute anarchist writing and provide practical support for the circulation of libertarian ideas. Its activities developed beyond ordinary bookselling to include publishing-related work, printing, and the distribution of posters, stickers, pamphlets, audiovisual materials, and periodicals. The bookstore moved to 145 rue Amelot in 1981, the address with which it is now associated. The new premises reinforced its role as a physical center for anarchist life in Paris. Alongside Lyon's La Gryffe, Publico is regarded as one of France's historic anarchist bookstores, although later establishments such as Quilombo expanded the country's network of specialist libertarian bookshops from the 1990s onward. Publico has maintained close links with the Fédération anarchiste and Radio Libertaire. Those connections have made it a place where publications, political information, broadcasting activity, and face-to-face organizing intersect. After the events of May 1968, the bookstore was managed by anarchist activist Hellyette Bess. From 1984 to 1988, former manager Hervé Trinquier and Jacky-Joël Julien, a co-founder of Radio Libertaire, used the bookstore as the base of the Libertarian Theatre of Paris. The theatre's program included appearances by cultural figures such as Léo Ferré. The organization began using the internet in 1988, an early step in extending the reach of a specialist movement bookstore. During the Gulf War of 1990–1991, Publico took part in a campaign with the Fédération anarchiste and Radio Libertaire against French military participation. Anarchists deserting the French army sought help through the bookstore during this period. The demand for assistance was greater than the organization could manage, and members also worried that the visibility of the activity could attract official scrutiny. The premises experienced political violence on more than one occasion. The colonialist far-right Organisation armée secrète bombed the bookstore in 1962. A second bombing was attributed to Francoists in the middle of the 1970s. In May 2019, after the shop had already been targeted by far-right militants, a knife attack seriously injured a volunteer inside the premises. The victim survived, but the episode prompted criticism from Le Monde libertaire concerning media coverage, the police response, and the refusal to treat the incident as terrorism. Publico continued to operate as a political and cultural venue in the twenty-first century. In 2020 it hosted Radio Conchita, a feminist Spanish-language radio initiative, and it has organized or supported the Salon du livre libertaire. Its catalog remains centered on anarchism while incorporating international and English-language publications. Scholars and commentators have characterized the shop as a resource for engaging with anarchist thought and as a social space in which customers discuss ideas with one another. The bookstore's operating model combines professional retail work with ideological commitment. It is staffed by two salaried booksellers, which is relatively unusual among French anarchist institutions. These workers are professional employees who choose to work in the sector despite lower compensation than equivalent bookselling roles elsewhere. Publico therefore occupies a hybrid position: it is simultaneously a bookstore, printer and publishing outlet, cultural venue, political information center, and durable institution of the Fédération anarchiste.
- 2020
Radio Conchita hosted at Publico
[1]The bookstore hosted the feminist radio project Radio Conchita for Spanish expatriates.
- 2019
Knife attack at the bookstore
[1]A volunteer was seriously injured in a knife attack inside Publico on 2 May 2019.
- 1990
Anti-war mobilization during the Gulf War
[1]Publico worked with the Fédération anarchiste and Radio Libertaire against French military involvement in the Gulf War.
- 1988
Internet access introduced
[1]The bookstore joined the internet, extending its communications and distribution capabilities.
- 1981
Move to rue Amelot
[1]Publico moved from 3 rue Ternaux to 145 rue Amelot, its current Paris location.
- 1975
Second bombing
[1]The premises were bombed again in the middle of the 1970s, in an attack attributed to Francoists.
- 1962
Bombing by the OAS
[1]The bookstore was targeted by the colonialist far-right Organisation armée secrète.
- 1959
Publico founded in Paris
[1]The Fédération anarchiste founded the bookstore on 18 March 1959 under the name Librairie du Monde libertaire.
Products and positioning
A specialist anarchist bookstore and movement institution combining book retail, publishing and printing, political education, cultural programming, and community organizing.
Books · 1959
Anarchist books
Publico's principal retail category is anarchist literature, including political theory, history, social criticism, biographies, and works connected with libertarian movements. The selection serves both established activists and readers seeking an introduction to anarchist thought.
Political publishing · 1959
Periodicals and pamphlets
The bookstore distributes anarchist newspapers, journals, pamphlets, and other short-form political publications. These materials support rapid circulation of movement commentary and organizing information alongside longer books.
Movement media · 1959
Political and audiovisual materials
Publico also offers audiovisual resources and political ephemera, including posters and stickers. Such materials extend the bookstore's role from literary retail into the broader communication and propaganda practices of anarchist organizations.
Printing and publishing · 1959
Printed publications
In addition to selling publications, Publico functions as a printing press and publishing-related resource. The supplied sources do not establish a complete current catalog of titles produced directly by the bookstore.
Controversies
2019
Knife attack on a Publico volunteer
On 2 May 2019, an attacker stabbed a volunteer in the back of the head with a kitchen knife inside the bookstore. The victim survived. Le Monde libertaire disputed the level of media attention and criticized the handling of the investigation and the decision not to classify the attack as terrorism.
1975
Francoist bombing
The bookstore was targeted by a second bombing in the middle of the 1970s, attributed to Francoists.
1962
OAS bombing
Publico was targeted by a bombing attributed to the colonialist far-right Organisation armée secrète.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Campaign against French involvement in the Gulf War
France
Publico joined the Fédération anarchiste and Radio Libertaire in opposing French military participation during the 1990–1991 Gulf War. The bookstore also became a contact point for anarchist army deserters seeking assistance.
Outcome. The campaign provided a channel for anti-war messaging and support, although the organizations were unable to meet all requests for assistance.
Brand decisions
1988
Adoption of internet communicationsStrategyBackground
As a specialist political bookstore with an international readership, Publico expanded beyond purely physical distribution.
Action taken
The bookstore connected to the internet.
Aftermath
This gave Publico an additional channel for communication and potentially for reaching readers beyond Paris, although the supplied sources do not detail the technical scope of the service.
1981
Relocation to 145 rue AmelotStrategyBackground
The original bookstore at 3 rue Ternaux was replaced by a location at 145 rue Amelot.
Action taken
Publico moved to its current Paris premises, strengthening its long-term presence as an anarchist bookstore and meeting place.
Aftermath
The rue Amelot location became the enduring base for the bookstore's retail, printing, cultural, and organizing activities.
Sources2 sources
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