No way to get out, and no way for the Red Cross to get in?
Unbelievable.
The shocking action by the city of Gretna, Louisiana in shutting off the Crescent City bridge (one of the only ways out of New Orleans) was something I saw mentioned on Fox News last week, but has not gotten as much attention as it should have.
Police from surrounding jurisdictions shut down several access points to one of the only ways out of New Orleans last week, effectively trapping victims of Hurricane Katrina in the flooded and devastated city.
An eyewitness account from two San Francisco paramedics posted on an internet site for Emergency Medical Services specialists says, "Thousands of New Orleaners were prevented and prohibited from self-evacuating the city on foot."
"We shut down the bridge," Arthur Lawson, chief of the City of Gretna Police Department, confirmed to United Press International, adding that his jurisdiction had been "a closed and secure location" since before the storm hit.
"All our people had evacuated and we locked the city down," he said.
The bridge in question -- the Crescent City Connection -- is the major artery heading west out of New Orleans across the Mississippi River.
What the hell is a "closed and secure location"? Bedroom community? There are at least eight hotels hotels in Gretna and in neighboring Harvey -- and that's just a cursory search of commercial hotel sites (which probably reflect only those bothering to advertise on the Internet).
And here's a Google map I just borrowed:
There are many square feet of land in that area (it appears there's physically almost as much ground as New Orleans), as well as roads leading out in several directions. (The red pointer indicates the Google location of the Best Western Westbank Hotel located at 1700 Lapalco Blvd, Harvey, LA 70058.) Westbank municipalities include Gretna, Harvey, Marrero, and Westwego.
Sounds to me like they deliberately trapped dying people in a flooded city. As Glenn says, this is a disgrace, and I join his call for a full investigation by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Under the circumstances, it's beginning to look like these people were tantamount to being prisoners. And the Red Cross wasn't allowed access to them!
According to the Geneva Convention, even prisoners of war are allowed that.
Sickening.
I don't want to know whether the Gretna city authorities are Republicans or Democrats.
MORE: Here's an account of the treatment Gretna officials meted out to some New Orleans residents officially evacuated to Gretna by Regional Transit Authority workers:
The wade through the water led them to an on-ramp onto Highway 10. From there, they walked -- another five miles or so -- across a bridge over the Mississippi River and to the town of Gretna, the rendezvous point where buses would be arriving to pick them up.
"Once we arrived there, the mayor of Gretna, his police force, police chief ... they jumped out with M-16s and shotguns and told us to get out. We had kids terrified. They said we did not have permission to be in their city. They surrounded us, cocked their guns, told us not to move -- told us to gather together. ... Our superintendent tried to explain to them that we were waiting for buses and didn't need rations," Kevin said.
[NOTE: Kevin was part of an evacuation team working for the Regional Transit Authority.]
"And the bad thing about that is, (due to the flooding) that was the only way in and out of the city," Tony said.
Kevin's supervisor called Gov. Blanco's office, the governor talked to the mayor, and apparently explained who these people were. "After he (the mayor) got off the phone he apologized to us," Kevin said.
After things were cleared up there, Kevin and the others in the evacuation team had to go back to the RTA station to get the rest of the people there. "We got a couple of boats, went back to RTA and got old people, or disabled people, paddled them to (dry ground) and put them on a bus and brought them to where we were," he said. Finally, the entire group -- around 300 people -- were bused away from Gretna to safety -- or one of several shelters.
At least the governor was nice enough to talk to Gretna's city officials and make them apologize.
(Of course, not everyone can get the governor to make calls....)
posted by Eric on 09.09.05 at 05:03 PM
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Comments
My God...
So Gretna is probably a middle or upper class are and they didn't want- how do you say it without being a dick? - "a bad element" to overrun their town. But this is inhuman- how do they know who is good or evil? How can they close their eyes to the suffering of children and individuals in order to protect their property?
What a horrible place.
Harkonnendog · September 9, 2005 07:09 PM
Geez, and it wouldn't have anything at all to do with the *if it bleeds, it leads* tabloid reporting of the MSM of rampant thuggery and looting now, would it?
Plan, anyone? Why didn't the Gretna officials know the evac plan? Short answer: it was a paper plan. No communication to locals, except shoot-to-kill via your favorite channel. Really, every tale of horror is a tale confirming Blanco's utter incompetence.
alene · September 9, 2005 08:52 PM
If this is true, then the next step must be to work out how Bush is to blame for their treatment.
that is a link by Fox news... geraldo and shepard smith were at the convention center on day 6 reporting this live.
Harkonnendog · September 9, 2005 10:42 PM
What went on in NO (and surrounds) made me think of a new term: SNAFUBAR. As you might expect, it's snafu and fubar crammed together, and rather appropriate.
The City of Gretna Police Department's mission is to prevent crime and maintain order while affording dignity and respect to all individuals; to protect lives and property while safe guarding constitutional guarantees, committed to the delivery of police services in the most efficient, fairest, responsive and ethical manner possible to impartially enforce all laws and ordinances, while enhancing the quality of life for all citizens through new and innovative approaches to problem solving and crime prevention; with a sensitivity to the priorities and needs of the people; and to promote professionalism and pride among employees of the City of Gretna Police Department.
I think people are being too hard on these Gretna police officials. They know the kind of dangerous people that live in New Orleans, and if they stand back and let a few thousand of that kind (the kind that loot with abandon) into a middle-class community where everyone else has left, we know what would happen. They probably had no idea that it was the only way out of the city.
In hindsight it is easy to say that they should have been more generous. But if you were in their shoes, with their responsibilities, given what they knew at the time about the chaos in New Orleans at the time, you might have done the same thing. It was their job to protect their community and they were doing it.
Your compassion for the police knows no bounds. Can I make the assumption you're a Christian? You display the kind of thoughtful understanding I would expect from someone who can empathize with the pain and confusion of well-armed government officials on dry land when faced with those who were utterly desperate.
And if Jesus himself had been on that bridge? Well, you can't blame the cops now can you?
I was born and raised in Jefferson Parish (of which Gretna is the Parish seat) AS a Black man I can tell you without a doubt, Gretna Louisiana is one of the most racist places on the face of the earth. This behavior would not be the least bit shocking to anyone from the area. As a student of history I encourage anyone interested to look up the history of violence and discrimination against Blacks in this area. As a Black youth raised in the arear you are warned against confrontations with Gretna Police officers who are notoriously violent towards Blacks. Maybe the true legacy of Hurricane Katrina will be the realization that the idea of the redeemed South is a myth and many of the people in positions of power are the children and grandchidren of the Bul Conners" of the World...
MShane · September 16, 2005 11:04 PM
The High and mighty Chief of Police of Gretna has a judgement day coming. Maybe he doesn't believe it. The survivors who had family members to die on that bridge; ought to get a good attorny and sue him for every thing that he's worth, and for everything that he is not worth!!!!!!
Sylvia · September 17, 2005 12:56 PM
I for one am glad they didn't let the people over, anyone who is familiar with Gretna and the parish of Jefferson will tell you that had the bad elements came across that bridge they would have tore the city apart just like the looted the mall. In fact Algiers had no damage from water but was destroyed by looters not one business out of thousands was not looted in Algiers they even busted into the collection box at a church. People can say what they want but everyone from louisiana will say the same thing The Govenor and the mayor screwed up royally. Because of their stupidity many people died.
fj · September 19, 2005 10:21 PM
Are you saying that people in need of help are "bad elements"?
You said that "not one business out of thousands was not looted in Algiers."
Do you have any evidence for that assertion? There's a lot of misinformation floating around, and it's irresponsible to make unsupported statements.
I know because I was and am still there. The bridge as it comes from the new orleans side has two exits one goes to Algiers, the other to the westbank, jefferson parish Gretna, When they first let some of the people over they started looting the shopping mall, so that it when they could not come onto the Jefferson paish side, They could however come onto the Algiers side, and yes they did loot it. Yes every business, I know you find that hard to believe but it is true. The bottom line is that the Mayor and The Gov screwed the whole thing up. They are to blame for the lost lives and they are to blame for telling people to go to the superdome and convetion center and not having a plan to deal with them.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
My God...
So Gretna is probably a middle or upper class are and they didn't want- how do you say it without being a dick? - "a bad element" to overrun their town. But this is inhuman- how do they know who is good or evil? How can they close their eyes to the suffering of children and individuals in order to protect their property?
What a horrible place.