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Home Front: Economy
New Orleans Gestapo police seize firearms, round up residents
2005-09-08
It can't happen here? Keep in mind that 20 percent of New Orleans was not flooded at all and that many residents, especially in more affluent areas, were very well prepared and are riding out the aftermath in relative comfort.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 8 - Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here.


Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Police officers looking for survivors today in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns or other firearms, said P. Edwin Compass III, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.

But that order apparently does not apply to hundreds of security guards hired by businesses and some wealthy individuals to protect property. The guards, employees of private security companies like Blackwater, openly carry M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said that he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.

"New Orleans Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent sticks his gun inside the front door of a home looking for survivors in the ninth ward of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina September 8, 2005. The agents were forcibly entering homes searching for remaining residents as authorities have stated that evacuations of the city will become mandatory." REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Nearly two weeks after the floods began, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as National Guard troops and active-duty soldiers. While armed looters roamed unchecked last week, the city is now calm. No arrests were made on Wednesday night or this morning, and the police received only 10 calls for service, a police spokesman said.
Louisiana residents have their state constitution on their side (hat tip Volokh): the Louisiana Constitution, art. I, sec. 11 (enacted 1974), provides that --


The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged, but this provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to prohibit the carrying of weapons concealed on the person.
Posted by:Atomic Conspiracy

#13  LOL! Mucky - I expected nothing less. Brilliant!
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 23:09  

#12  heheh. gonna barrie nikels all over em yard to jusn throw em off.. :)
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-09-08 22:56  

#11  werd frank. werd.

ima beter start go get em shuvel an em waterprroof case...
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-09-08 22:54  

#10  good catch on Volokh quoting *acckkk* NYT:

"No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns, or other firearms, said P. Edwin Compass, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.

But that order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of security guards whom businesses and some wealthy individuals have hired to protect their property. The guards, who are civilians working for private security firms like Blackwater, are openly carrying M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons."

Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 22:40  

#9  I'm still hoping to avoid civil war, but it is looking bleaker and bleaker day by day.
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-09-08 22:22  

#8  Just checking, but the state and city are still in charge of this cluster****, right?
Posted by: Phil Fraering   2005-09-08 22:18  

#7  somebody who wouldn't be shooting if a gun wasn't poking in their front door? Create a criminal, use it as reason why you were there. Sh*t. Leave the people alone or deploy with more tact - these people aren't the enemy. They may be hell bent on keeping the only home/possessions they have, against all odds. We used to admire that attitude. I know all about the illness, yadda yadda .
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 22:16  

#6  This fiasco is turning into the biggest clusterf$%k since Nam. If these jerks are going to break into people's homes looking for what are presumably bad guys, they should atleast be wearing some body armor. Somebody will shoot back when they're vulnerable.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-09-08 22:08  

#5  those two photos, like the closet arrest of Elian Gonzalez, are the strongest weapon law-abiding people have against a Hillary-Reno (sorry Joe M) gun grabbing admin. These guys should be ashamed of themselves and this program terminated tonight!~
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 22:04  

#4  I wonder, what are the chances these legal firearm owners are going to get back their guns?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-09-08 21:18  

#3  note that corporate security (Blackwater) are allowed to continue to carry M-16s etc to protect business. The second amendment was not for two tiers of allowed self-protection IMHO
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 21:17  

#2  Get a list of all the Feds involved in confiscation of legaly held firearms and sue them in Federal court. It's a constitutional right for a reason. Violating it is plenty of reason for insurection regardless of the facts.
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom   2005-09-08 21:11  

#1  bad news. No open/outside carrying, I can understand, but not "Evacuate or we'll kill you to save your life"?
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-08 21:07  

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