Protest Bring Demolition Activity At B.W. Cooper To A Halt
by mike howells Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007 at 2:07 AM
howellnow@bellsouth.net 04-587-0080 1031 Barracks St. #2 NOLA, 70116

Supporters of public housing staged a protest that brought HUD demolition activity at the B.W. Cooper development to halt Tuesday Afternoon.

Protesters Bring Demolition To A Halt At B.W. Cooper.

By Mike Howells

Direct action by supporters of public housing brought HUD authorized demolition to a halt at the B.W. Cooper Housing Development in New Orleans today. Tuesday afternoon a picket of dozens of public housing supporters prevented a truck from carrying a huge demolition crane into the new section of the development.
Neighbors of the B.W. Cooper area alerted housing activists late Tuesday morning that demolition equipment was being brought into the development. And, in fact, demolition did begin on one of the dozens of public housing apartment buildings that make up B.W. Cooper. However, soon after protesters formed an anti-demolition picket line in front of an entrance to the new section of the development demolition activity ground to a halt.

Sam Jackson, a resident of B.W. Cooper and a long time housing activist, thanked everyone who participated in the anti-demolition action. He also urged supporters of public housing to come back on Wednesday to help step up the fight against demolition. Cooper contains about 1,300 apartments designed to provide housing for poor, working class people.

The need for the reopening of all these apartment units could not be greater given the dire shortage of affordable housing that exists in post-Katrina New Orleans. Unfortunately, HUD authorities issued the go ahead for the demolition of more than 4,600 public housing apartments last October. Most housing activists in New Orleans believe that the demolition of local public housing is part of a broader effort by economic and political elites to block the return of the 150,000 African-American Katrina Survivors who are still in exile.

If you are interested in participating in the struggle to defend New Orleans public housing feel free to contact the Coalition to Stop Demolition at action@peopleshurricane.org or call the author at 504-587-0080

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