Sometimes a squad car arrives and quietly follows the parade. Other times, an officer will emerge and ask for the bandleader, then discuss the reason for the parade and the planned route. In those cases, the two parties may negotiate a different route or ending point, but the parade typically is allowed to continue.
But on Monday night, the squad car meant the parade was over. The band had just launched into the funeral hymn, "I'll Fly Away," and some musicians had tears running down their faces as they sang the lyrics: "One glad morning, when this life is over, I'll fly away. When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away." At that point, officers used the car's intercom to tell band members that if they continued playing, they would be arrested.
Most musicians kept playing, as they walked into the parking lot. "I wasn't trying to defy police," one trombone player said. "But I was just carried by emotion."
Officers repeated their message, with little effect, so they began running into the crowd and grabbing anyone with an instrument. Some officers grabbed at mouthpieces, others tried to seize drumsticks out of hands.
James' sister, Nicole James-Francois was shocked. "There were so many police cars," she said. The scene was so peaceful and beautiful while the band was playing the hymn, she said. "Then it become almost something demonic, with all these officers saying, 'Don't you play.' "
Soon, 20 squad cars were lining the blocks of North Robertson between St. Philip and Dumaine streets, filling the night with red and blue flashing lights.
Now police in this town have an awfully bad time of things as it is but when you read something like this you have to wonder not only about departmental priorities, but also about how these officers can live with themselves sometimes.
Of course, maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal if the new Yuppie neighbors would realize that they haven't just moved to Topeka.
The confrontation spurred cries in the neighborhood about the over-reaction and disproportionate enforcement by police, who had often turned a blind eye to the traditional memorial ceremonies. Still others say the incident is a sign of a greater attack on the cultural history of the old city neighborhood by well-heeled newcomers attracted to Treme by the very history they seem to threaten.
Police say Monday's response was in part generated from unspecified complaints.
But I keep forgetting I'm not supposed to complain about all the new young professionals since they're all here to help us backward dumbfucks become civilized or something like that.
Update: More from Ashley who seems to agree with me.... although somehow I doubt that his new friend Virginia Boulet would.
Updater: More of the same from G-Bitch who writes
I live here because of the culture whether I participate in in 24/7 or not at all. I do not find the sound of a brass band annoying as it passes or lingers near my block. I think fondly of my grandfather when I do hear one. It is what makes this New Orleans instead of Baltimore, Evanston or Seattle. And if you don’t want to hear it, WHY the fuck move to the TREME?
And this, I think, is what continues to annoy me... almost as much as the inherent class bias. Some people have an absurdly low tolerance for the minor inconveniences of living with or near other people. I really don't understand this.
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