December 20, 2007

Protesters clashed with police outside of the New Orleans City Hall Thursday while council members were inside preparing to make a critical vote on the public housing.

The City Council meeting was delayed several times due to shouting matches and fighting that broke out inside. Security had to physically restrain several protesters while others trying to get in the meeting were being forced back outside.

Outside City Hall police used pepper spray and tasers as protesters tried to force their way through an metal gate. Several protesters were arrested as the police tried to calm things down. One woman was sprayed and dragged away from the gates and taken away on a stretcher. She screamed like a little girl.

The reason for this scuffle is supposedly over the demolition of several public housing units.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development wants to demolish the buildings, most of them damaged by Hurricane Katrina, so developers can build new mixed-income neighborhoods.

Those against the demolition think they are trying to force the poor blacks out of the city.

Council members approved the demolition.

Check out the video. Listen for the people screaming like little children. If you’re going to demonstrate, at least man up and don’t cry like a little bitch when you get some pepper in your face. They should be happy they never got a few rubber bullets to the face.

Here’s another view.

And here’s the aftermath.