Some people like to live in a chocolate city below sea level...Me? I prefer the shining city on the hill.
Posted on 12/20/2007 10:23:55 AM PST by TornadoAlley3
NEW ORLEANS -- The scene outside New Orleans' City Hall boiled on the brink of a riot Thursday as protesters stormed the gate and were met with police spraying mace and firing Tasers. Protesters broke through the gates outside City Hall shortly after 11 a.m.
Click Here: Council Chaos Livestream
A woman identified by bystanders as Jamie Bork Laughner, was sprayed and dragged away from the gates.
She was taken away on a stretcher by emergency officials on the scene. Before that, she was seen pouring water from a bottle into her eyes and weeping.
The first brawl of the day broke out in the New Orleans City Council chamber shortly after the council convened to take a vote on demolishing a group of local housing projects Thursday.
After a few minutes of chanting and clapping by the audience, a melee ensued and police waded into the fray. Shortly after the scene calmed down, the city cut a televised feed from inside the chamber.
The meeting had started 40 minutes later than its scheduled 10 a.m. start time, due to protests, and the brawl began at about 10:45 a.m.
Before the meeting, police shackled the gates closed as protestors rattled against them.
NewsChannel 6 will have more information on the situation as it's available.
The C.J. Peete, B.W. Cooper, Lafitte and St. Bernard developments are all scheduled to be demolished soon. Before the vote, Council members Arnie Fielkow, Stacy Head, Shelley Midura and Cynthia Hedge-Morrell all told NewsChannel 6 they favor demolishing the developments.
The Council was scheduled to take up the measure at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.
Opposition to the demolition has been staunch, and has included clashes with police and federal marshals.
Many protestors and civil rights activists said they're upset at losing the low-income housing in the wake of Katrina, when rents are high and housing is still somewhat scarce in New Orleans.
On Wednesday, a woman chained herself to an outdoor stairwell at the B.W. Cooper housing development for hours while protestors marched and chanted outside of the development gates.
New Orleans police eventually broke the chains and carried the woman down.
She and two others were charged with trespassing. In recent days, a variety of arrests have been made as protestors attempted to block the demolition.
There’s been at least one other post about this festering anger in
New Orleans on FR in the last couple of weeks.
If I understand it correctly, the real gripe is
“Just Rebuild Our Slum Neighborhoods, D-mn It!”
Is Nagin the next Willy Wonka?
I’ve never quite understood..............why do they insist on removing the people before doing the demolition?
The majority of these protestors are not even New Orleans residents, and none of them are housing project candidates.
Some people like to live in a chocolate city below sea level...Me? I prefer the shining city on the hill.
‘Dallas One’ sure doesn’t seem to be able to put together a glass of smooth, delicious chocolet milk, does he?
(chuckle)
That said, I have no sympathy for New Orleans. You reelected this idiot, now STFU and live with your decision.
elections have consequences.
Lefty rent a mob.... ACORN, etc...
God forbid anyone should tear down crappy public housing...ooops, i mean the family homestead.
That’s project has been in the family for generations!
If I understand it correctly, the real gripe is
“Just Rebuild Our Slum Neighborhoods, D-mn It!”
Even if that were to happen it would just not feel like home to most of the residents until at least a year has passed. Just about enought time to make it as crappy and homelike as it was before.
Rioting so that they can live in condemned slum buildings?
It takes a bunch of brainwashed Democrats.
Ah, the “airing of grievances”. They must have their Festivus Pole up.
Exactly - this has little to do with the people themselves as much as external “activists”
I wondered what was going on, where I ate lunch had a TV on cnn. No sound, just pictures looked like a large part of the crowd were white
Too true!
If I understand this set-to correctly, the city wants to build community housing to be occupied by the advantaged as well as the disadvantaged and thereby influence the future of those previously housed in "the projects." Those who formerly occupied the projects want a roof over their heads and don't want to wait for the construction of an "integrated" community.
I seriously doubt that the integrated community approach would work. Given past performance in New Orleans, liberals would be putting themselves and their children at great risk in deciding to occupy such an integrated community.
Good grief! Narcotic welfare addicts facing the prospect of having to provide for themselves. Thanks Democrats for your Liberal Plantation!
Ahh,, the Dim Plantation. Where the work is easy. Hold your nose, close your eyes, shut off your mind, pull those levers, get back on the bus and do it again.
Proof Republicans hate black people!
/s for the sarcasm impaired.
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