Biblioteca (Abusiva) Metropolitana

Image of a black cat with a bandana over its mouth staring back at the viewer in defiance. The use of the colors black and red and the image of a cat reference symbols of anarcho-syndicalism, wildcat strikes, and radical unionism related to labor movements. The symbol on the cat’s chest stands for squatting, an act of occupying abandoned property and a form of political protest. Italy’s independent Library (Abusive) Metropolitana is located in Rome’s Centocelle neighborhood. The innovative space opened in 2013 with the goal of creating a "collective space for sharing and building resistance, criticism, and conflicts" free from media censorship, making knowledge and information accessible to everybody.