Many Rescue and Relief Efforts Effective

Katrina: Direct Action vs. Government Guns

- October 14, 2005 -

Imagine an alternative Katrina scenario where progressives, firefighters and nurses are in power. They can effectively respond to disaster in ways that the US government cannot. While the natural disaster might not have been avoided, the humanitarian disaster could have been largely prevented.

Firefighters are paid to be trained, supplied, coordinated and ready to jump at moments' notice in anticipation of possible disaster. We even pay them to go to false alarms, which are expensive

Health care workers such as nurses also spend most of their time taking care of simple and non-emergency cases. Yet they are prepared to handle critical emergencies, care for their patients as human beings, and are health advocates - counseling illness prevention.

It is progressives with their principles of equality that work to eliminate poverty and racism as a structural necessity that can prioritize people instead of inequality.

In the dry Algiers section of New Orleans, community activist Malik Rahim demanded opening empty schools, churches and centers to evacuees. His mosque became a first aid clinic. Progressive organization Move On! Called on Americans to open up their houses to evacuees -- a humane and sensible option. Meanwhile the government housed military personnel in luxury New Orleans hotels and spacious “tent cities” with full facilities. They and the Red Cross evacuated poor, homeless survivors across the country and into crowded, dangerous, militarized shelters. Crowded shelters spread more diseases than the natural disaster.

Despite the need for a civil humanitarian response, the government's rescue operation has been a massive show of security forces with New Orleans resembling Baghdad. FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Association), folded into the post 9-11 super Department of Homeland Security, disregarded concrete threats of natural disasters which was its original mandate, concentrating on imagined terrorist threats.

To understand the federal response to Katrina, you need to understand its activity as a continuation of post 9-11 and the Iraq occupation: to militarize and privatize, promote the menace of crime and terrorism, intimidate the population while eviscerating social services, minority and worker rights.

Nevertheless, effective progressive community-based responses have emerged. In the mostly poor black community of Algiers New Orleans, a call-out from progressive community organizers with *Common Ground was met by volunteers providing relief and home repairs to survivors, and by action-medics who established a free health clinic. Public health officials acknowledge that the clinic now staffed by volunteer health professionals, has out-performed other state and private clinics in the storm-battered region. Supported by a variety of national progressive organizations, Common Ground is building a nucleus of community-controlled social infrastructure that is both efficient and essential. Meanwhile, as clinics and hospitals run short-staffed or close for lack of staff, the Feds echoing the Louisiana government now tell volunteer health workers they are no longer needed.

Government agencies and military units organized for terrorism and combat have been ineffective and scary for the hurricane survivors. Security forces occupied New Orleans sweeping the streets with patrols -- but the streets were not swept of fetid garbage. Humvees were brought in while garbage trucks were kept out. They, the Red Cross, the media and the many charities treated the majority black and survivors, as charity problems or even domestic criminal "insurgents" to be controlled, not people to be in solidarity with to be in solidarity with. We have witnessed countless frightening examples of these agencies dominated by middle class white managers treating poor survivors with disrespect and disappearing them across the U.S. without support or identification. Meanwhile, the Red Cross never missed an opportunity to advertise for donations to itself for hurricane relief.

Most of the flooded and destroyed houses of New Orleans are in poor black neighborhoods. Presently, a thinly disguised campaign of ethnic cleansing is being implemented: Damaged houses in New Orleans are painted with X's by FEMA. A Green X means the house is habitable and its residents can stay. If your house gets a Red X, you must be out of it by curfew, and must LEAVE the Orleans Parish if you cannot find another place to stay. Intentionally, the government is NOT providing local temporary shelter for these New Orleans residents forced out of their city.

Various levels of government have committed their share of racist and criminal acts- i.e. The Sheriff's Department of the largely white middle class Jefferson Parish shot over the heads of escaping survivors from New Orleans on a bridge preventing their evacuation into their parish. Yet the same sheriff previously provided busses for people fleeing, but clamped down when a few evacuees committed crimes. Two days after the flooding, the Feds called for a massive boat rescue - then prevented the three hundred volunteer Cajun boaters who were the most efficient water rescuers from launching their boats.

These were not conspiracies - it was business as usual of how America treats black and poor people.

As super agencies forced emergency crews to wait a week in Atlanta and other far off places before they could arrive, community organizations and residents welcomed help that got through. Independent rescue boaters disregarded authorities and took to the water. Churches used their resources and networks to provide vital support. Members of military units and large bureaucracies sought ways to cut red tape and do the right thing. A pattern emerges of thousands of competent people and groups only able to help by sidestepping official agencies and rules that obstruct and frustrate rescue and relief efforts.

Katrina created an enormous spirit of helpfulness that swept away traditional divisions. Our health clinic works with government and university health departments. Members of the Army 82nd Airborne in Algiers brought patients and medical supplies to the "Black Panther Clinic" as they called us. The California National Guard asked us to staff another clinic they opened up, and offered to protect us from the New Orleans police and shady city councilors. The Sewage and Water Treatment Authority come to us for care, and house our staff at a FEMA-run tent city.

We proved there are principled ways of caring for each other that effectively counter manmade disasters. Progressive, community initiatives strive to maintain a "People-First" principle. We develop collective organizational models that build multi-directional communication networks and flexible decision-making. Moreover, the lesson from Katrina is that despite the reputation of agencies, one always works with individuals and departments within. A little respect goes a long way, and initiative, persistence and direct-action can trump bureaucracy and corruption.

Models and principles that work:

Social politics of equality and dignity for all so that disaster victims do not become doubly class or race victims.

Supporting the communities to survive and rebuild as they see fit.

A simple and effective prevention and rescue model that builds on and mobilizes the voluntarism and good will of intrepid people.

A flexible organizational structure that facilitates networking with autonomous activity.

Selection of coordinators that are competent, not friends of those in power.

Aid to groups and organizations --community, cultural, religious, etc.-- that have a working history and a giving spirit to do the right thing.

Goals:

No one left behind. All treated with dignity. The right of survivors to return and live in a community under their control.

Until we become a society that cares for everyone, then any disaster affecting large numbers of poor people and minorities will always be a humanitarian disaster. We must stop waiting for government to change and take direct action to create the society we need.

Scott Weinstein is a nurse volunteer at Common Ground

Writing from Occupied Jerusalem, Live from Palestine, 18 December 2003

 Dec. 18 2003, 8:15am -- The Fourth Geneva Convention stipulates that an occupying power must provide for the health and well being of the people under occupation, and not interfere with their medical services or needs.

We start out from the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) HQ (what the Red Cross is known as in Palestine) in Al Bireh (next to Ramallah) for a pick up and transfer of patients south of the Qalandya Israeli army check point. Our ambulance, donated by the Norwegian Red Cross, is well equipped for most emergencies. The ambulances are clearly recognizable as such.

I am riding with two Emergency Medical Technicians, Emad and Mohamed. They dress in bright red uniforms with large Red Crescent patches and reflective tape.

15 minutes later, we are blocked at the Qalandya checkpoint traffic jam. Even on a good day, the checkpoint creates a multi-directional traffic jam as vehicles and pedestrians dodge each other. Qalandya is next to a section of the electronically monitored separation fence, an Israeli only settler road, and their industrial compound of Atarot.

Many Palestinian cars and trucks are let through without a search, but not the ambulance. Israeli soldiers with rifles enter and make us open up medical kit bags, the side bench seat and the oxygen tank storage door. Emad our ambulance driver speaks Hebrew to the soldiers as the inspection continues, and of course we must show our IDs. Meanwhile, outside, another soldier behind a concrete barrier has his rifle trained on us during the inspection.

Returning back to the A-Ram checkpoint with a mother and her one-year-old boy who has leukemia, we are once again, the only vehicles searched. Emad convinces the soldier, in Hebrew, that the baby must get to his medical appointment, even though this is not strictly speaking an "emergency".

We are allowed to continue back to the Qalandya checkpoint area where another ambulance is waiting for the baby and his mother. Ahmed explains that often, the soldiers do not permit ambulances to pass through the checkpoints.

The calm and professional attitude of the EMTs is impressive. It is an already difficult job. Daily, in order to do the most basic tasks, they have to put up with being stopped and questioned, soldiers aiming rifles at them, their IDs checked, their ambulances searched, and often being refused to cross a check point. As Ahmad, another EMT said, "This is our life. Beginning in the morning with checkpoints, and ending with checkpoints."

We pick up another patient -- an elderly woman suffering from diabetes and cardiac disease. Although, she is going to the Palestinian hospital Al Maqased in Jerusalem, just 15 km away, we have to pass through another checkpoint. Besides the usual search and ID check, the Israeli soldiers want to inspect the woman -- her husband duly lifts her blanket revealing her amputated left lower leg and a urinary catheter.

Our next call is to pick up an elderly man with cardiac disease from Bethlehem. We meet the patient at the Gilo checkpoint about 10km south of Jerusalem waiting in another ambulance. Again, a few cars are casually searched and one truck undergoes a cursory inspection. However, our ambulance is thoroughly searched, plus our IDs. The soldier focuses on me - what am I doing with them? Emad does the talking in Hebrew for me. The irony of a Palestinian translating for two Jews is not lost on me. The soldier tells Emad that he was previously warned that he was allowed to bring only his assistant EMT, not any volunteers like me. Emad replies "No, I never heard that before." The soldier says, "Now you know."

Total time at check point: 1 hour.

On my next run, I ride with Luay and Ahlam in a slightly more modern ambulance donated by the American Red Cross. We return to the Qalandya checkpoint, as there is a car accident just across from it. This time, the Israeli soldiers check no IDs as they look inside the ambulance and then let us through.

Two cars have collided on top of a hill and thankfully the impact wasn't forceful enough to push either over the edge! One driver, still in his seat, is wearing a neck collar placed by an Israeli soldier that protects his cervical spine. With the soldier's help, we move the patient safely to the stretcher, and get him in the ambulance. Another soldier gives me the man's ID. The young man is suffering from pain to his upper back and left shoulder. (If he had been wearing a seat belt, which Israelis and Palestinians are loath to do, he would probably be just sore, not banged up). Ahlam starts an IV on him, we re-secure the neck collar and proceed to take him to the Israeli Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.

However, a minute later at the A-Ram check point, we're put on hold: The soldier doesn't want us to pass because the patient is not obviously in critical condition. He checks the patients ID, hands it over to another older soldier. This soldier belongs to Dept. of Coordination, set up to coordinate between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

Luay explains that the Palestinian accident victim has Israeli residence, adding that if required, we can call the International Red Cross Society to seek authorization for his passage. This seems to convince the soldier. They once again thoroughly search the ambulance before we can continue to Jerusalem.

At the gates of the Hadassah Hospital, we go through checks and inspections by two different security guards. Before leaving the hospital, in order to confirm the inspection, a security guard makes Luay sign a sheet that we were properly inspected.

It's more of the same for the rest of my shifts with the ambulances. Short drives, numerous checkpoints, countless repetitive delays, inspections and questioning. We never leave the West Bank: Palestinian territory illegally occupied by the Israelis.

Dr. Wael, the PRCS Emergency Medical Services General Director explains that the Israeli army justifies these practices based on an incident two years ago, when arms were found in an ambulance. "Western journalists, who investigated the incident at that time, were not convinced; not only because the ambulance had just passed through several checkpoints without being detained, but also because the army had already notified journalists to be present when arms were 'found' when it was stopped and checked again".

The checkpoint searches have the depressing feeling of being routine and normal. The EMT's maintained a calm, professional rapport, and even act friendly towards the soldiers. The soldiers seem bored for the most part, sometimes friendly, but nevertheless, rarely waved us through like they do to most other vehicles. I on the other hand, was simply outraged at this basic violation of human rights and decency.

It is not always safe. Soldiers firing at EMTs have wounded Ahmad twice in the last two years - once when he was exiting the PRCS headquarters. PRCS EMTs Ibrahim Assad and Bassam Bilbasee, and Dr. Khalil Suliman have been shot to death while on the job. PRCS ambulances have been damaged and destroyed by the army firing rifle and tank rounds at them.


Roadblocks

Since the start of the current Intifada, the Israelis have placed over 600 roadblocks throughout the occupied territories: 65 manned; 464 mounds of dirt and rubble; 58 trenches; and 95 concrete barriers. (Data from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).

What is done during an emergency when a bypass road around a roadblock may be a long, slow and treacherously eroded dirt road? The PRCS then will coordinate two ambulances to meet each other on either side of the roadblock.

The night of December 20 in Bethlehem, we were called to pick up a 62 year old man with cardiac and respiratory difficulties at the Hebron/Bethlehem roadblock. We met the other ambulance there, and the young EMTs decided that it would be easiest to simply carry the old man in their arms over the steep mound of mud and concrete rubble to our ambulance.

Later on, we rushed over to the Beit Jalla roadblock to meet another ambulance bringing Kathur Fanoon, a 25 year old women with labour contractions four minutes apart. We placed her on a portable stretcher, and carried her over 30 meters of slippery mud and rubble. An Israeli jeep was there, shining a spotlight on us. I thought they were being kind enough to illuminate our way in the dark, but they left when we got half-way over the mound. She arrived in the Beit Jalla Hospital delivery room before her baby did.


Conclusion

I have been in Palestine during a period considered calm and routine, compared to previous high alert and high security phases. There have been no suicide bombings. After a week of riding inside an ambulance, I have to say that while theoretically, an ambulance has the capacity to transport hidden people or arms - so do cars and trucks. I observed an unmistakable discrepancy in the consistent inspection of ambulances - as opposed to cars and trucks - at numerous checkpoints. This seems to be Israeli policy clearly intended to sabotage the Palestinian's emergency medical services and needs.