Posted on 08/30/2005 12:59:42 PM PDT by LM_Guy
NEW ORLEANS — With much of the city flooded by Hurricane Katrina, looters floated garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street in a dash to grab what they could.
In some cases, looting today took place in full view of police and National Guard troops.
At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.
When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" — the radio code for police — and the crowd scattered.
Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement.
"It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."
Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores.
One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store.
"No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."
Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard lumbered by.
Mike Franklin stood on the trolley tracks and watched the spectacle unfold.
"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," he said.
A man walked down Canal Street with a pallet of food on his head. His wife, who refused to give her name, insisted they weren't stealing from the nearby Winn-Dixie supermarket. "It's about survival....
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
This worked during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
San Francisco Mayor Eugene Schmitz quickly issued a bold proclamation to the city: "The Federal Troops, the members of the Regular Police Force and all Special Police Officers have been authorized by me to KILL any and all persons found engaged in Looting or in the Commission of Any Other Crime."
This is a horrible racist thing to say, but all the looters I am seeing on TV seem to be from one racial group.
What does that tell us?
Sorry to say but there was an extensive amount of looting of the WTC during the crisis.
Consider the fact that someone might have already zotted this guy for the beer.....
I can understand and sympathize with people looting food items and other things necessary for survival. The food in the closed grocery stores is going to rot and the people there need the food for survival so I have no problem with that. The store is out its inventory either way. But going for clothes, jewelry and any other non-emergency item is wrong.
Guess Denise never saw pictures of the French Quarter during Mardi Gras either!
I wish New Orleans had a lot of Korean shop owners with shot guns like in LA.
Or just contain them and let it burn out.
You'd think the shotgun would give the police a pretty good chance of success.
You'd think the shotgun would give the police a pretty good chance of success.
The state could pass an emergency law authorizing the Salvation Army and similar agencies to pass out the food that would have otherwise been trashed, and also immunizing same from any liability for the food.
They'll all claim to be repubs
I might be wrong, but I don't mind if they take food, diapers, etc. its not like the store is going to be open for business in the morning, and they could have waited... its just a mess, and i feel so sorry for them all. just thinking of the little kids and babies.
Yep, Mike! Das what da Revvvvverund jackson, he say all de time! Get back at de man, 'cause he be ooopressin' y'all!
Savages!
Somebody please tell me why this looter wasn't shot on sight.
Yep, its Clinton' fault.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.