"Police Trapped Thousands in New Orleans"

This story about a group of people trapped in NO, trying to get out is so outrageous that I almost couldn't believe it when I read it yesterday. But the San Francisco Chronicle has picked up the story, as have a number of other papers. I imagine they check their sources before running a story like that.

I had been wondering why people didn't simply walk out on foot. Answer: They were stopped, by force. By the Gretna police department.

As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the
foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing
their weapons over our heads. This sent the crowd fleeing in various
directions. As the crowd scattered and dissipated, a few of us inched forward and
managed to engage some of the sheriffs in conversation. We told them of our
conversation with the police commander and of the commander's assurances. The
sheriffs informed us there were no buses waiting. The commander had lied to us to
get us to move.

We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge anyway, especially as there
was little traffic on the 6-lane highway. They responded that the West Bank was
not going to become New Orleans and there would be no Superdomes in their
City. These were code words for if you are poor and black, you are not crossing
the Mississippi River and you were not getting out of New Orleans.

[...]

Unfortunately, our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City) was correct.
Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up, jumped out of his patrol
vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces, screaming, "Get off the fucking freeway".
A helicopter arrived and used the wind from its blades to blow away our flimsy
structures. As we retreated, the sheriff loaded up his truck with our food
and water.

Once again, at gunpoint, we were forced off the freeway. All the law
enforcement agencies appeared threatened when we congregated or congealed into groups
of 20 or more. In every congregation of "victims" they saw "mob" or "riot".
We felt safety in numbers. Our "we must stay together" was impossible because
the agencies would force us into small atomized groups.

Not only did the police stop them from leaving the city, they took away their food and water.

Unfuckingbelievable.

This guy, alobar, whose journal I've been reading these past days, reports being turned back as well.

I followed a couple more links, the story looks legit. One rather wishes it weren't.

(no subject)

Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard on NBC's Meet The Press: bureaucracy has committed murder. In the end Broussard loses it and starts crying. I could barely watch this clip.