Zine Revival Sparks Community Organizing and Resistance in Los Angeles
On December 10, 2025, a Guardian interactive piece highlighted a workshop held at the Los Angeles central public library that attracted nearly 100 participants making zines about immigration and resistance. Titles included Narcan 101, Free Palestine, and An American Zine.
Zines have seen a resurgence as tools to share information about ICE raids and resist the Trump administration beyond traditional protests. For example, 404 Media released a 16-page zine reporting on ICE activities.
Originating in the 1930s as fanzines and experiencing a 'second birth' during the 1980s punk era, zines have long been used as political and social tools. Notably, Fact Sheet Five has cataloged numerous zines over the years. Mariame Kaba, co-founder of the Black Zine Fair, emphasizes that zines are a low-barrier medium that can be cheaply printed and widely distributed to empower communities.
Megan Piontkowski's "How to Report ICE" zine has been translated into more than 70 English and Spanish versions and is hosted on Bluesky and Google Drive. It provides localized hotlines and resources for various U.S. cities and states.
Following ICE's Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago in September, zine-folding parties have become increasingly popular. Organized by Emily Hilleren at venues such as the Nighthawk bar, these events combine zine making with whistle kits and warding-off-ICE materials.
Participants value the social aspect and tangible action, engaging in folding and distributing zines and community organizing rather than passive consumption through social media.
In Los Angeles, Nova Community Arts hosts a weekly "Queer Art Hang," providing a safe, in-person space for LGBTQ+ individuals to make, fold, and trade zines, offering refuge from surveillance and online bullying.
Youth participation is also rising. Sixteen-year-old Victoria Echerikuahperi, known as DJ Mariposa, has led healing zine workshops for victims of raids in LA and continues to organize youth zine events.
