Police Shut Down Iron Rail Infoshop in New Orleans

On Wednesday the Iron Rail Infoshop was shut down by police under the pretext of permit violations and an inability to produce a business license. The Iron Rail has existed in this location for the past 8 years. The shut down included the entire building known as "The Ark" which also houses the Plan B Community Bike Project and Hasbin Wilby's recycled art supplies, as well as numerous artist's studios which sometimes are used as dwellings. the Iron Rail hosts the Crescent City Anti-Authoritarians meetings and is the hub of anarchist organizing and other alternative projects in the city.

The combined events are currently having deep reverberations through our community here. The seeming loss of a space that we have had so long is still being processed. There will likely be forthcoming appeals for solidarity from the international anarchist community. Here's the current statement from the Iron Rail Collective on the matter:

This is a preliminary statement from the Iron Rail Book Collective. A more in depth statement on recent events will be forthcoming.

At about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday March 9th, 2011 The Iron Rail Infoshop and the building that houses it, "The Ark," were shut down by the New Orleans Police Department. Alleged code and permit violations were the reasons offered by NOPD for the shut down. The Iron Rail has existed in this space for the past 8 years.

The Iron Rail Book Collective has been told at this point that the Ark will not re-open and all projects and art studios located in the building can no longer exist there. This includes the Plan-B New Orleans Community Bike Project and Hasbin Wilby's Recycled Art Supplies.

We stand in solidarity with these projects as important elements in the greater New Orleans radical community.

Please visit The Iron Rail's website http://ironrail.org/ and our facebook http://www.facebook.com/ironrail or e-mail us at ironrail@riseup.net .

We will soon be taking donations through PayPal to help us plan our future.

A more complete statement with additional information is forthcoming.

With love and solidarity,

The Iron Rail Book Collective

Also from New Orleans:
Report from an ARA member in New Orleans Louisiana:

The Krewe of Eris Parade, a non permitted Mardi Gras parade with roots amongst New Orleans anarchists that has marched for the last six years was attacked and turned turned into a police initiated riot on Sunday