Protests hit FEMA evictions

Katrina/Rita evacuees and their supporters rallied in a number of places across the country on Feb. 28 to protest FEMA’s illegal evictions of evacuees from hotel rooms.

New York City Photo: Alex Majumder

Despite the bitter cold, about 50 Katrina survivors and their supporters held a press conference/rally in front of the local FEMA office in New York City. Brenda Stokely from the NYC Solidarity Com mittee for Katrina/Rita Evacuees delivered a letter that had been emailed by 27,000 people to FEMA offices, George W. Bush, Acting FEMA Coordinator R. David Paulison, congresspeople and state and local officials demanding decent housing, a jobs program, clean environment, health care and the right to return home for all survivors.

Los Angeles Photo: Young Hui Kim

On the West Coast, vehicles with signs paraded from South Central Los Angeles to Hollywood with amplified chants of “U.S./ FEMA stop the racist evictions” and “We charge genocide—Stop the evictions now.” When the caravan reached Holly wood Boulevard, police attempted to shut it down by issuing tickets for “unwarranted usage of the horn.” Proceeding undeterred and taking advantage of the increased attention, the participants got out of their cars, chanted and distributed leaflets.

Protesters also rallied at the FEMA office in Chicago. Katrina evacuee Cas sandra Burrows told Chicago’s WBBM Newsradio 780 that instead of Mardi Gras parties, this Fat Tuesday was a day of political activism for her.

Boston and Washington, D.C. protests were postponed until March 14 to denounce a new March 15 eviction date set for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Monica Moorehead and John Parker contributed to this report.