‘New Orleans is an anti-war issue’
By
Deirdre Griswold
New York
Published Sep 15, 2005 1:38 AM
When Hurricane Katrina
hit, anti-war groups were gearing up for a major national demonstration in
Washington. Within days, it was clear that the people of the Gulf, particularly
in New Orleans, had become the latest victims of a government that will spend
hundreds of billions on an imperialist war while slashing funds for human needs
at home.
The Troops Out Now Coalition here, which had a conference planned
for Sept. 10 to make a final push for the national protest two weeks later,
immediately broadened the focus of its meeting. The war had come home, and this
coalition, which encompasses many Black and Latin@ organizations as well as
labor militants and anti-war activists, was deeply involved in relaying the
demands of the besieged people of New Orleans to the anti-war movement as a
whole.
Highlights of the conference were an eyewitness report from Teresa
Gutierrez, who had returned that morning from Louisiana; a summary by Nellie
Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council of the apocalyptic problems that New York
would face in the event of a similar disaster; and the presentation of a
people’s program by Larry Holmes on behalf of one of the conference
workshops, which drew on demands drawn up by independent community groups in New
Orleans.
Gutierrez and John nie Stevens of TONC had interviewed many
survivors of the hurricane, in both Hous ton and Loui si ana. She charged that,
based on what the delegation had heard, the government had made a decision to
“let the tragedy happen,” and she challenged the anti-war move ment
and all progressive forces to extend the greatest solidarity to the displaced
people of the area. (See Gutierrez’s report in this issue of
WW.)
Bailey presented to the conference a detailed report prepared by
Black Workers for Infrastructure Revitalization on the deterioration of New York
City’s water, electric and sewage systems that make it “another New
Orleans in the making.”
Although experts have said that $90 billion
needs to be invested in the city’s infrastructure to make it safe, little
is being done. Meanwhile, half the men in Harlem can’t get work and the
military are trying to lure the youth with false promises of jobs and
education.
What can the movement do about this increasingly critical
situation?
Larry Holmes of TONC brought to the conference a program for
action based on demands generated by meetings of grassroots leaders in the Gulf
area. These include:
* Stop the real looters; freeze the awarding
of Katrina reconstruction contracts by FEMA until local community organizations,
leaders, activists and trade unionists have made public their ideas and
plans.
* Local people must control the $52 billion reconstruction
fund for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast—not Halliburton and President
Bush’s rich friends.
* Stop the execution of Frances Newton.
If the State of Texas executes Frances Newton (making her the first Black women
to be executed in Texas since 1853) in the wake of Katrina, this legal lynching
would be a continuation of the brutal war of racist repression against the Black
population of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
* End the
military occupation of New Orleans—no forced evacuations.
*
Let human rights observers
into New Orleans.
* The right of
return for all the people who have been forced from their cities and towns.
Katrina must not be turned into an excuse for ethnic
cleansing and
gentrification.
* Accept the 1,100 medical doctors offered by Cuba
and the resources Venezuela has offered.
* Pay the prevailing wage.
Congress and the president must rescind the waiver of the Davis-Bacon
Act.
* Extended unemployment benefits, back pay and a guaranteed
job for all workers displaced by Katrina.
* The establishment of an
international commission of inquiry into the U.S.
government’s response to Katrina.
* Money for Katrina
recovery and human needs—not war. Bring the troops home
now!
Holmes stressed that TONC would continue to consult with community
organizations in the Gulf area as they further elaborate their demands. The
Troops Out Now Coalition is urging other coalitions also organizing for the
Sept. 24 rally in Washington to support these demands and feature leaders from
New Orleans on the platform.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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