Reply #95: ANOTHER long story: bellaciao.org: 9th Ward NOLA

[chomskysright]

Tuesday 6th September 2005 (06h24) :
New Orleans has been taken over by the United States Government The entire
city of New Orleans is under evacuation orders. I just spoke to my friend
Daniel in the Bywater (9th ward). He reports that unmarked police vehicles
(cadillacs) are driving through the neighborhood with SWAT team police armed
with 'big black machine guns' telling people through bullhorns they are
under orders to evacuate and must leave the city now.
People in that neighborhood are being told to go to the big pool on the
corner of Lesseps and St. Claude (this is one block from my
house) to be airlifted out, tho people are allowed to leave by their own
means if they can.

He reports helicopters all over the place of all kinds - everything from
large Army helicopters with guns to Red Cross helicopters - they are
swooping down low in the neighborhood and 'buzzing' houses - he said one
just flew low enough over him to blow shingles off the roof.

He is starting to see National Guardsmen marching through the streets with
guns to make sure people obey evacuation orders.




He wanted to get into a neighbor's house to save their dog that is locked up
in there, but was told by a National Guardsman that unless he has keys to
the house, if he tries to break the door in he will be shot on the spot.

He also reported that Dr. Bob, Bywater artist, was beaten by NOPD who
thought he was a looter - they beat him up severely and took his weapons.

We are being forced out of our city, with no word as to if and when we will
be allowed to return. We've been wondering what they would do after enough
people were forced to die of starvation. Population reduction has been
accomplished.

Here are the updates I was working on before this latest call from
Daniel:

Yesterday I finally spoke with my best friend Daniel who stayed in New
Orleans as he finally was able to make a call on his cell phone.
He was calling from the upstairs of the house he lives in, sitting on the
porch with an AK-47 in his lap. More details on that call to follow.

He just left me a message about 5 minutes ago telling me that there are cops
driving around the neighborhood with bullhorns telling everyone that there
is a mandatory evacuation and EVERYONE must go.

There are helicopters all over the skies. He is not sure if they are just
trying to scare people into leaving, or if they are serious, but he has
found a ride and they are leaving the city.

We do not yet know how this will affect our plans to return to the city.

We will be monitoring the situation as we drive towards New Orleans today
and will assess our plans when we arrive in Baton Rouge, our first stop
before heading into the city. If we are not able to gain access to the city
- which we will still try to do - we will be assisting with relief efforts
in Baton Rouge and Covington, where there are hundreds of thousands of
refugees from New Orleans in desperate need of assistance.

Some people have asked for a physical address to send money to, so here are
two places you can do this. Our good friend Ward Reilly, who will act as our
Baton Rouge liason and staging ground, can cash checks for us (we will not
have access to bank machines in New Orleans to cash checks!).

The best and easiest thing to do is send a check or money order made out to
Ward Reilly and note on the check that it is for Get Your Act On.

Please send to:

Ward Reilly
645 Kimbo Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

People that are on their way to Louisiana to help or want to come down -
right now we do not advise people to try to enter the city of New Orleans
until we know better what the situation is, especially with the breaking
news about the forced evacuations. However, there are hundreds and thousands
of refugees in the areas around New Orleans, and there is a desperate need
for help there.

Daniel says that in 6 days they have not seen or received any help.
In 6 days they saw one policeman - flying through the neighborhood in a
police car at 40 miles an hour.

He reported that for the first two days after the storm, Wildlife and
Fisheries were rescuing people from the flooded out lower 9th ward, blocks
from my house and his house by boat - and just dropping the people off on
the dry side of the levy, with no food or water or anywhere to go.

He said that after two days the boats just stopped coming. He had no idea
why until I explained the situation with the National Guard to him, and that
the rescue boats were told to stand down and stop rescuing people.

The people locked down in the city have no idea that supplies are sitting
just outside the city and being turned away.

The only reason they have food is they managed to gather what they could
from friends' apartments, etc., but again, no one has come to help them or
bring them food. Other than the people left stranded in the neighborhood, it
has been completely abandoned by all official entities.

Here is a bit of heart breaking news. There is only one radio station people
can receive in the city. Daniel said that people trapped in their attics in
the lower 9th ward have been calling the station saying where they are and
asking that some one come get them.

But there is no one to come. Those that are not already dead are dying.
Daniel estimates that there are easily some 40-50,000 people dead in their
homes in the lower 9th ward. I can not imagine listening to this on the
radio, knowing that these peoples pleas are falling on deaf ears. They have
simply been left to die.

Now, as with others we have had contact with in New Orleans, the people are
afraid to leave their homes because of the National Guard, who have
permission to shoot anyone on the spot.

There are many more small details Daniel relayed, but I do not have time for
them all now. Just to say that he confirms reports we have received about
supplies and relief not getting through. Apparently some assistance is
starting to get into the city, but not to the poor neighborhoods.

OK, I have to go now - we need to get on the road towards New Orleans. We
will be stopping in Baton Rouge where we will be meeting up with Daniel
(they have found a car to get out of the city) and we will then assess the
situation and take things from there.

It looks more and more like we will not be able to enter the city without
the extreme likelihood of being killed in the process.

So we will regroup in Baton Rouge and start relief efforts with the refugees
already there and the rest of the people being airlifted out of New Orleans.

If we deem it at all possible, we will still try to enter the city of New
Orleans, but we will not put ourselves in the position of being killed as
then we can be of no help to anyone.

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON.

WHY DID OUR GOVERNMENT DELIBERATELY STARVE THE POOR PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS?

WHY ARE THEY FORCING US OUT OF OUR CITY AND DO THEY PLAN ON 'GIVING IT
BACK'?

QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED AND ANSWERS GIVEN. WILL THE REFUGEES BE GIVEN ANY
FOOD AND WATER NOW? WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MANAGED TO STAY
ALIVE.

NEW ORLEANS HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
BEWARE, THIS MAY COME TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=8086