The People’s Court: Exposing Katrina’s Unpunished Crimes

In this historic 2007 session of the People’s Court, ACLU lawyer King Downing delivers a searing indictment of the U.S. government’s role in the human rights violations following Hurricane Katrina. Survivors, advocates, and witnesses offer devastating testimony—detailing state abandonment, police brutality, mass incarceration, environmental racism, housing theft, and the militarized occupation of New Orleans’ Black neighborhoods.

From prisoners left to die in flooded jails, to women and children trapped in unsanitary shelters, to vigilantes allowed to hunt Black residents with impunity—this tribunal laid bare a system where racism, profit, and neglect converged into catastrophe. Latino workers described modern-day slavery under guest worker programs, while New Orleans’ public schools and housing were systematically stripped from Black families under the guise of “recovery.”

Downing calls it what it is: a crime scene. He demands international recognition of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. His call to action includes reparations, prosecution of federal officials, and global mobilization in support of Katrina’s displaced and abandoned.

This is not just testimony—it’s truth-telling as resistance. And the struggle continues. Downing is joined by Romel Madison, whose brother Ronald Madison was murdered by New Orleans police during the chaos following the storm. Together, they dissect the culture of impunity in law enforcement and highlight the devastating toll police brutality took on already traumatized communities. Their conversation is a call to remember the names, demand accountability, and break cycles of state violence.

And lastly, civil rights icon and movement lawyer Chokwe Lumumba closed the Hurricane Katrina Tribunal with a fiery indictment of U.S. government failures—from FEMA to local law enforcement—in the wake of the 2005 disaster. Speaking before a packed People’s Court on September 2, 2007, Lumumba didn’t mince words. He framed the government’s actions not just as negligence, but as crimes against humanity.

Citing powerful testimony from survivors, Lumumba called out systemic racism, environmental violence, mass displacement, and militarized repression—arguing that the government’s conduct during and after Katrina fits the legal definition of genocide. He laid out a blueprint for justice: full reparations for victims, prosecution of public officials, and international recognition of human rights violations.

Lumumba demanded that this tribunal report its findings to global human rights bodies and urged support for grassroots organizations still doing the work FEMA refused to do. He closed with a call to action: to build power from the bottom up, honor the voices of Katrina survivors, and never let their truth be buried under government spin.

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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