Report from  Emergency Strategy Meeting

On September 10, activists from all over the U.S. assembled at the New School University's Lang Center for an Emergency Strategy Meeting to discuss the criminal negligence of the Bush Administration before, during, and after the impact of Hurricane Katrina and to plan a national campaign in solidarity with the people of the affected region.

Kicking off the discussion was a report and video footage from Teresa Gutierrez, who had just returned from a Troops Out Now Coalition fact-finding visit to the region.   Other speakers included Brenda Stokely of the Million Workers March Movement, Nellie Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Council, Larry Holmes of the Troops Out Now Coalition,  LeiLani Dowell of FIST (Fight Imperialism - Stand Together), and Sara Flounders of the International Action Center.

The recurring theme of the presentations and of the discussion that followed was the importance of demonstrating solidarity with the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and of exposing the racism and greed that are behind the loss of life in New Orleans and surrounding regions.

Two concrete proposals coming out of this meeting were: