blackpantherscallforaction

Amanda McElfresh

NEW IBERIA - Holding signs declaring "Stop police brutality!" "IPSO = Toxic Gas" and "Sheriff, how many blacks did you gas today?" about 25 New Iberia residents and activists gathered Tuesday to protest what they call unfair and inappropriate treatment by the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office.
Sparking the outrage is a Sept. 24 incident in which sheriff's deputies used CS gas on a group of about 500 people gathered in the city's West End after the Sugar Cane Festival. The Rev. Raymond Brown, chairman of the Louisiana chapter of the National Action Network and a leading member of the New Black Panther Party, said he and others will not tolerate another such incident, which they say was racially motivated.

"If he (Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert) fails to correct the wrong that he did and we hear of any more black people, or white people, being gassed, the Black Panther Party is coming here," Brown said. "I challenge these deputies. If you want a real confrontation, call the Black Panther Party. We know how to use weapons of warfare. You can call that inciting a riot all you want, but I know the definition of self-defense."
Hebert defended the deputies' actions, saying the crowd was blocking traffic along Hopkins Street, and that deputies tried to use loudspeakers to disperse the crowd before using the CS gas.
"That's what law enforcement does," he said. "You do what you need to do and use the tools you need to use so that any violence doesn't escalate and also so that the city streets don't become congested. We felt that we did what we needed to do at the time."

Hebert also said for about 16 years deputies have been on alert for problems in the West End following the Sugar Cane Festival.

"The last official event usually ends on Sunday between 4:30 and 5 p.m., and then it generally carries over into the West End and tends to be in the streets. The party just doesn't want to go away," he said. "You try to bear with it as best you can and make sure people are safe, and that's what we did this year."

Regarding Brown's comments about the New Black Panther Party possibly reacting if another incident occurs, Hebert said he believed Brown had a right to speak his mind and voice his opinion.

"I have no problem with his statements," Hebert said. "New Iberia is a safe place, and the Sugar Cane Festival is a 54-year-old event. We always anticipate problems at the end, and we were prepared for them."