“Storming the Gates” New Orleans Protesters Sprayed and Tased

by mpress | December 20, 2007 at 10:20 am

3570 views | 12 Recommendations | 13 comments

Update: The city council passed the vote - unanimously approving the demolition 7 -0. Things are getting ugly in New Orleans. The city wants to demolish the only home some people have.

NEW
ORLEANS — Police used chemical spray and stun devices as dozens of
protesters seeking to halt the demolition of public housing in New
Orleans tried to force their way through an iron gate at City Hall.

Some people were arrested as officers tried to establish order and
an ambulance arrived on the scene. It was unclear whether there were
injuries or the ambulance was a precautionary measure.

The council chambers seat fewer than 300. Once capacity was reached,
people who were not permitted into chambers marched and chanted outside
and eventually violence broke out.

The clash happened at an iron gate that separates the council
chambers from City Hall grounds. On the grounds, more than 50 had been
chanting, calling for the council to reject plans by the Department of
Housing and Urban development to demolish the housing projects.

Then, protesters tried to storm the gate with a few able to squeeze
through a narrow opening before police began using the spray and stun
devices.

A woman identified by bystanders as Jamie Bork Laughner, was sprayed and dragged away from the gates.

A city council meeting where the fate of several New Orleans housing projects was to be decided was delayed several times due to shouting matches and skirmishes that have broken out inside of the chamber. The meeting began about an hour late with a long reading of rules to the public about how the council meeting to proceed.

Eyewitness News reporter Jonathan Betz reports that SWAT teams and vans with riot gear have been sent to City Hall in case they are needed.

Security had to physically restrain several protesters and housing demonstrators complained that several people trying to get in the meeting were prevented from doing so.

Source: wwltv

5 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

ryan

at 11:50 on December 20th, 2007

mpress, thanks for getting this story out so quickly. It will now show up on the home page for four hours. If new developments justify it, I'll renew this flag for another cycle.

salsa

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:16 on December 20th, 2007

The tragedy of Katrina continues.

pwalmsley

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:58 on December 20th, 2007

This is insane... Thanks mpress.

ryan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 16:33 on December 20th, 2007

mpress, good footage on an important matter.

UPDATE:

The Council voted 7-0 to approve demolitions at B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, Lafitte and C.J.Peete.

"The decisions made today were ones of compassion, courage, and commitment to this city," said Nagin. "This is an incredible day. You heard lots of pain today. The City Council in its wisdom has come up with a solution that will allow us to move forward, to hold HUD accountable."

Nagin said HUD and HANO must still apply for demolition permits from the city's Office of Public Safety, and city officials would use those permits to ensure that conditions of the council's resolution were met by the federal agencies.

ryan

at 16:36 on December 20th, 2007

mpress, the city council passed the vote - unanimously approving the demolition 7 -0 as such I'm reflagging this as breaking.

mpress

at 17:02 on December 20th, 2007

Thanks for the help and input Ryan

Brian A Kennedy

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:54 on December 21st, 2007

mpress, excellent coverage -- thanks for this.

poojakashyap

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:40 on December 22nd, 2007

mpress, I like this story. It's good stuff....took me back to the episode of
storming of Bastille which I read long back in Dicken’s work.

René

at 08:37 on December 23rd, 2007

"As a Christian," wrote Episcopal Bishop Jenkins to the Council, "I am compelled to
speak of the morality of these decisions. The issue is not simply one
of housing or even subsidized housing. Rather, the issue before us is
about people, not buildings, and it is primarily a moral issue."

The
diocese issued a statement December 20 after the violence occurred
outside the New Orleans City Hall quoting Jenkins calling the unrest
"completely unnecessary."

"Bishop Jenkins had hoped to speak in front of the City Council on
behalf of the poor, who will be evicted from their FEMA trailers in the
coming months and have nowhere to go," the statement said. "The Bishop
and other community leaders have recommended that city leaders delay
demolition until new housing is built. Unfortunately, the hall was
filled to capacity so Bishop Jenkins was unable to speak. He left when
the crowd grew unruly."

René

at 09:00 on December 23rd, 2007

Local reactions and a Times-Picayune staffer's Opinion piece reveals the many mixed local reactions to this volatile issue.

atomcat

at 13:45 on December 23rd, 2007

Merry Xmas New Orleans!

All I want for Christmas is to be Homeless, Pepper Sprayed and Tasered.

Thanks Santa.

I worked in Florida after Andrew. Reality on the ground compared to coverage by the media. Amazing eye opener.

I was in Florida when they govt. killed those people at Waco.

Before the fire I was watching the news with an American, he said everybody in America should be going to Waco to stand up for the rights of the people trapped inside. He said it doesn't matter if you believe what they believe, but that all Americans need to stand together to protect each other's rights.

New Orleans is just one more example.

My family wishes each and eveyone the very best this Hoilday Season.

May we all strive to make the world a better place in the year to come.