THE OCCUPY CORK movement has announced that it will voluntarily dismantle its camp on the city’s South Mall, citing fears that the council could remove it without warning.
The campaign said it was calling an end to the occupation after 150 days, but stressed that it was planning “other actions” in future.
In a statement released via Facebook and Twitter, the movement wrote:
We have decided we will be taking down the camp from today. We are keeping control over the removal of the structure instead of allowing for the cops/council to smash it up.
It said that keeping the protest going for 150 days had been an “extraordinary achievement” and the final day of the protest yesterday had been “a brilliant day; full of music, fun and laughter”.
A final general assembly will be held at the camp at 6pm today, the campaign said in a follow-up message.
The move comes following the enforced removal of protest camps on Dame Street in Dublin and the quays in Waterford, both of which were dismantled by council workers and gardaí in early-morning operations last week. The Waterford camp was said to be unoccupied at the time.
Activists at Occupy Galway, who have faced criticism from local councillors over their camp in Eyre Square, said over the weekend that they would not obey a council request to pack up.
The Occupy Cork movement thanked local residents for their support, writing:
We would like to thank everyone for their support and be assured, it may be the end of the camp but it is not the end of Occupy! We’re already planning a few other actions so keep watching!
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