After Blocking the Bridge, Gretna Circles the Wagons

[ixion]

Published on Friday, September 16, 2005 by the Los Angeles Times
After Blocking the Bridge, Gretna Circles the Wagons
Long wary of next-door New Orleans, the town stands by its decision to bar the city's evacuees.
by Nicholas Riccardi


GRETNA, Louisiana - Little over a week after this mostly white suburb became a symbol of callousness for using armed officers to seal one of the last escape routes from New Orleans — trapping thousands of mostly black evacuees in the flooded city — the Gretna City Council passed a resolution supporting the police chief's move.

Also See:
GretnaSucks.com

GRETNA POLICE BLOCKED FLEEING VICTIMS
The Crescent City Connection bridges that cross the Mississippi River into downtown New Orleans, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
"This wasn't just one man's decision," Mayor Ronnie C. Harris said Thursday. "The whole community backs it."


http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0916-01.htm



-- You know what? If the whole community backs it, every last one of them ought to be charged with criminal negligence, IMO. :grr:

[MichiganVote]

1. Bigots, white, low-class, no-class, bigots

[TerdlowSmedley]

2. Dumbass Yats.

[ima_sinnic]

3. send an e-mail to the pigs

[e-mail]

from the town website: http://www.gretnala.com/

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. "The whole community backs it."

If I lived there, I would get out.

[atreides1]

5. In some ways this a good thing

At least people will know where there is a racist town, and we now have the proof, no more guessing, just a recorded fact.

The next time someone asks for directions, just tell them to avoid Gretna, because they are openly racist and proud of it.

[acmejack]

6. With a different administration they would be charged

with violating the New Orleans citizen's civil rights. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but...

Seems like the wronged could file a civil suit, too.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. I'm not a lawyer but I do know what police brutality looks like

This report is from one week AFTER the Cresent City Bridge blockade. The witnesses are identified and all are National Guardsmen. The attitude and the behavior of the Gretna Police is appalling. They seem to think it's a lot of fun to go into a neighborhood, stir up trouble and see if they can kick some butt.

If this is what happened on Sept 8th, 2005, you can be sure this has been happening on a regular basis for a long time. Any good civil rights lawyers out there? What these troops witnessed should be enough to bring charges against at least a few people.

Mission: Deterrence

September 10, 2005

By BRENDAN McKENNA Herald Staff

Vermont National Guard Sgt. Douglas Greig surveys signs in Gretna, La.

GRETNA, La. — Thursday night's mission for the Vermont National Guard members assisting the hurricane relief efforts highlighted the contrast in styles between the Vermont soldiers and local police and sheriffs.

By about 9 p.m., darkness had settled over the Guard's patrol areas and the third platoon was starting to settle into their checkpoints at the entrance to the Monterey Court neighborhood when a sheriff's cruiser and a pickup truck pulled up.

Two deputies were in the cruiser and another three or four were loaded into the truck.

The deputies asked the Guard how things were going. When the soldiers said it was boring, one deputy said "I guess we'll go make a run through there to see if we can stir some (stuff) up."

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050910/NEWS/509100365/1004

[cwydro]

7. I'm from the south

and Southerners just looove to talk about how "Christian" they are. Bet they're all in church congratulating themselves, fucking hypocrites. Just what WOULD Jesus do???

[ljm2002]

8. Yes, they ought to be charged

You said it!

I'm on a rant this morning. I'm tired of feeling outraged, of each day bringing fresh proof of an overall policy of withholding aid to people in distress, of refusal to even allow people to help themselves out of a nightmare situation.

THESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE HELD CRIMINALLY LIABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

And when they are, maybe we will find out more about the policies that were in place, that surely contributed to the widespread actions of this nature.

So let's start with the sheriff, the police chief, the mayor, and the city council of Gretna. We have their names. They need to be charged. Each and every one of them has blood on their hands, blood of their fellow citizens, who were caught in a nightmare of natural disaster followed up by heretofore unimaginable callousness from the likes of Mayor Ronnie "we don't want your kind here" C. Harris of the city of Gretna, Louisiana, a city whose name will be FOREVER TARNISHED by this episode.

So citizens of Gretna, do you really support this abominable action taken on your behalf by your City Council? If so, I have no problem at all with tarring you with the brush of uncaring, unfeeling, CRIMINALS. Because that is what you are. I will forever bring up the example of GRETNA, LOUISIANA to illustrate the depths of racism that still exist in this nation. I will forever remember the name of your city, and shout it loud and long. YOU ARE A BLOT ON OUR NATION. For me you will remain ever and always a symbol of what happened in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, a terribly tragic reminder that, although disasters often bring out the best in people, in this case it often brought out the worst.

Shame on you and yours. May misfortune dog you for seven generations.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. See the article I posted above

Between the Bridge Blockade and the reports from the NG on the ground the next week, there is enough evidence here for immediate suspension and charges being filed.

[ljm2002]

16. Thanks...

...and just a reminder, I found out yesterday that Louisiana is one of four states with laws requiring all of their citizens to render aid to others in distress -- with criminal penalties for not doing so. Of course, police and other officials have more of an obligation to render aid. So based on what I have read, I should think there are enough facts and enough witnesses to charge those responsible.

The prevalence of acts of this sort underscore the fact that, rather than treating this as a rescue operation, FEMA as well as the Gretna police were treating this as a police action against the victims of Katrina.

Had the victims been white and well-to-do, it is hard to imagine there would have been the same actions taken against them.

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. Did you know that by Wednesday Aug 31 that the Pentagon

had taken over the Federal response to the disaster?

That is why what we saw was a military response, instead of an humanitarian response. New Orleans almost ended up being the next Falluajah.

[Raster]

9. they didn't just block the people trying to reach safety, there are also

verified reports of the Gretna police confiscating water and food. They turned people back and didn't give a shit if they died or not. And this whole town wants to go on record supporting these horrible actions?

[KeepItReal]

10. "We took care of our folks." - Do you need to know any more?

People in this calamity showed the ability to do extraordinary things to save lives and help others.

The people running Gretna apparently just threw up their hands and said, "We can't handle it, so you're on your own."

I guess Gretna is the new Jefferson Parish, where the Sheriff (Harry Lee) once called New Orleans "The Jungle". Damn.

[KenCarson]

11. i wonder how people would view this if all the people were the same color?

.

[leftofthedial]

14. another proud red Murkan community

this country needs a good cleansing.

[Danmel]

15. Racism played no part, huh?

This is totally despicable. It really really is- their webiste has a link to the "Gretna Heritage Festival" which is on temprary hold becuase of Katrina. Womder what they'll celebrate with respect to their conduct after the hurricane. Proud to let those people die!" Disgusting.