Didn't people know? Gathering in a group of 3 or more is threatening and illegal...

Front page, now. OMG, indiscriminate waving of the taser by the woman cop. Crazy.

Yesterday, in New Orleans, protesters stopped the planned demolition of dilapidated public housing units at the B. W. Cooper public housing complex. Today, fresh from this success, protesters are poised to march on City Hall to stop other planned demolitions. The Housing Authority of New Orleans has announced plans to demolish four public housing developments in New Orleans and replace them with mixed income neighborhoods. The demonstrators are opposed to these demolition plans and believe it is part of a conspiracy to prevent poor African Americans from returning to New Orleans.

In contrast, the re-development of these units will benefit the former occupants of these housing projects. Creating units that offer modern amenities, less dense living conditions and a mix of inhabitants is preferable to the situation that existed in B.W. Cooper and the other housing projects in New Orleans. Prior to Katrina, housing projects were characterized by a high crime rate, gang activity, a thriving illegal drug trade, prostitution and filth.

To see how a redevelopment can be done correctly people should investigate the former St. Thomas housing projects, which are now the River Gardens neighborhood and a new Walmart store. It is a vast improvement over the situation that existed previously and should serve as a model for the redevelopment in many of these other projects.

Unfortunately, instead of moving forward and providing hope to residents, professional protesters and experienced agitators succeeded in shutting down the B.W. Cooper demolition last night. Now, this same group wants to thwart the demolition plans at three other housing developments.

In reality, none of the previous residents of these public housing developments have a “right” to return. Residents lived in these facilities courtesy of the taxpayers of the United States. They did not own these units. Instead the units are owned by the federal government and the people of this country.

All of these facts are disregarded by the professional protesters who came in to New Orleans from other states, carrying signs and yelling at work crews hired to do a job that had been approved several years ago. Yesterday, at the B.W. Cooper protest, license plates were spotted from Ohio, Kentucky and Massachusetts. Who are these individuals? What stake do they have in New Orleans? They have the luxury to come into town and protest and then leave and not have to face the crime and trash that characterize the housing projects.

A well thought out argument there QM. It really does show a possible other side to protesting as not always noble and right. I admit i dont know enough about the situation to really say, my only opinion as an outsider is to rebuild parts of a city that is way below sea level and has been destroyed because of it is foolish and is man again trying to control nature (like building your city on the side of a Volcano and keep building it back when its destroyed). I wonder why they cant rebuild further north, away from the coastline so that it is safer for new residents. Fixing the levies wont make everything better.

Great post.

After the storms Orleans was criticized for the way it 'kept' it's poor by outside special interest groups. When attempts at forward progress are made, these same special interest groups protest the moves. The city must tear down these dilapidated, crime & rodent ridden, barrack-style housing complexes in order to move forward as a city. Her people [all of her people] deserve better.

If I'm not mistaken, Cooper was approved for demolition before KatRita. I can't imagine the floodwaters improved conditions.

Spot was here.

Gee QM, good point! Let's see...

Can anyone guess why people at a protest in New Orleans might have out of state license plates? Anybody? Think really hard now.