City Council, New Orleans

We woke this morning to the NPR station report that demonstrators intended to disrupt the City Council proceedings...this seemed to be an effort to keep people away. Next we saw this Times Picayune headline, pre-stating the outcome of the demolition vote.
Worse yet, when we arrived at the City Hall a large iron gate met us with over a hundred of us locked outside of it. Ministers, business people, elders and all kinds of well dressed people were there besides the activists, all locked out from the democratic process.
Community members did everything they could to be let in but the heavy police presence just got more intense, with mounted police as SWAT team near-by.
Eventually things got ugly, over 10 people were arrested. People were tazered and mace sprayed and we never did hear the results of the vote although we heard that HUD got to present for an hour and a half and the room was cleared of people who opposed the demolitions so there were few or none to testify for retaining Public Housing in New Orleans.
The skies opened up and drenched us all. We know the activists here will fight on but there is little chance that New Orleans will welcome home any of its people this Christmas. Tomorrow homeless people camping in Duncan Plaza will be arrested for trespass if they don't vacate the City Hall park.
We are leaving with heavy hearts. Peace to the good people of this community.