http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/, a blog written by a bunch of IT guys holed up in NO with a power generator.
They say this about the outrageous FUBAR at the convention center in New Orleans:
10:46 pm
The Real News
Thefollowing is the result of an interview I just conducted via cell phonewith a New Orleans citizen stranded at the Convention Center. I don’tknow what you’re hearing in the mainstream media or in the pressconferences from the city and state officials, but here is the truth:"Bigfoot" is a bar manager and DJ on Bourbon Street, and is alocal personality and icon in the city. He is a lifelong resident ofthe city, born and raised. He rode out the storm itself in theIberville Projects because he knew he would be above any flood waters.Here is his story as told to me moments ago. I took notes while hetalked and then I asked some questions:
Three days ago, police and national guard troops toldcitizens to head toward the Crescent City Connection Bridge to awaittransportation out of the area. The citizens trekked over to theConvention Center and waited for the buses which they were told wouldtake them to Houston or Alabama or somewhere else, out of this area.
It’s been 3 days, and the buses have yet to appear.
Althoughobviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 peopleare packed into and around and outside the convention center stillwaiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine forthe last three days, until today, when the National Guard drove overthe bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashingdown to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from thedrop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them beforethey hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up thebridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach thepolice or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.
There are many infants and elderly people among them, as wellas many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape floodwater and the like — all of them in dire straights.
Anyattempt to flag down police results in being told to get away atgunpoint. Hour after hour they watch buses pass by filled with peoplefrom other areas. Tensions are very high, and there has been at leastone murder and several fights. 8 or 9 dead people have been stored in afreezer in the area, and 2 of these dead people are kids.
The people are so desperate that they’re doing anything theycan think of to impress the authorities enough to bring some buses.These things include standing in single file lines with the eldery infront, women and children next; sweeping up the area and cleaning thewindows and anything else that would show the people are notbarbarians.
The buses never stop.
Before the supplies were pitchedoff the bridge today, people had to break into buildings in the area totry to find food and water for their families. There was not enough.This spurred many families to break into cars to try to escape thecity. There was no police response to the auto thefts until the mobreached the rich area — Saulet Condos — once they tried to get carsfrom there… well then the whole swat teams began showing up withrifles pointed. Snipers got on the roof and told people to get back.
He reports that the conditions are horrendous. Heat, mosquitoes and utter misery. The smell, he says, is "horrific."
Hesays it’s the slowest mandatory evacuation ever, and he wants to knowwhy they were told to go to the Convention Center area in the firstplace; furthermore, he reports that many of them with cell phones havecontacts willing to come rescue them, but people are not being allowedthrough to pick them up.
I have "Bigfoot"’s phone number and will gladlygive it to any city or state official who would like to tell him howeverything is under control.
Addendum: Bigfoot justcalled to report that "they" (the authorities) are cleaning up the deadbodies at the Convention Center right now.
Thanks to my cousin Peter, surfing the web in China.
