Saturday, September 17, 2005

US Military Asks Anarchists for Help in New Orleans

The situation in Algiers got a bit more surreal this week when the U.S. military asked the anarchists for help in providing basic services to local residents. A medical military clinic commander asked the folks running the Common Ground Clinic if they could lend a few medics and doctors to the military until the military sets up a “permanent” health clinic on Newton Avenue on Monday.

SNIP

“The military has been sending military Humvees around our neighborhood, blasting amplified messages in front of the clinic telling people to go to different places for care. The locations change each day and they never give our location. They’ve finally decided to set up a permanent clinic after being so disorganized. We don’t need people in combat gear to provide medical care. Nobody wants to get care from people dressed up in military gear who drive around in shiny new Humvees. They are scaring the shit out of people.”

SNIP

“We’ve opened up a clinic and are opening up a mobile clinic. We’ve set up a food distro that has fed 300-400 people. We’ve distributed around 500 personal hygiene kits. People have come together to found the Common Ground Collective. There are people from all over the world here: volunteers from Denmark, doctors from France, Veterans for Peace and Cindy Sheehan. We are doing whatever it takes to fill the void of the needs that exist.”

SNIP

“I have no opinion of him, FEMA or the Red Cross. They are challenging the work we are doing. We opened up the first medical clinic in Algiers . They've turned doctors around. Nobody from the state, federal, or local government is interested in helping us. Where were you? Why couldn't you evacuate people out of harm's way? Why can't you do it if Cuba can? Where are the hospital ships? Why is this like an occupation?"


http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2005091...

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