One year of CAZ

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday April 28, 2003 14:22 by James McBarron

The Cork Autonomous Zone has bee functioning for over a year now. The shared space has become an irreplaceable part of the agitational infrastructure of anti-capitalism in Cork city.

You might walk in on some group producing banners or placards for an anti-war demo, a video showing to help finance solidarity volunteers for Palestine, anarchists in earnest discussion about the best tactics to be used to fight the war, the Cork Peace Alliance at its weekly meeting working on Traveller solidarity, freeing the Old Head of Kinsale, talking of fundraising for prisoners and defendants in the anti-war campaign. Then of course you might just interrupt the artists or the bands rehearsing.

The CAZ filled an important gap, gave a secure meeting place to several groups and a work space to many others. The financing comes from voluntary donations and subscriptions from users. All work is done by volunteers on specific CAZ work days. There is a good sense of ownership amongst the users. The CAZ membership however dream of something bigger better. Slow organic development has been prefered over some ambitious plan that might fail. The key to success has been particpation and democracy.