March 10, 2011; Source: The Times-Picayune | On Wednesday, the New Orleans Police closed a building in the Marigny neighborhood that was home to a number of endeavors including an anarchist bookshop and library and a bicycle repair shop. The building, called the ARK, was also apparently a working and gathering place for an artists’ collective.

The reason given for the closing was to give the city’s revenue department a chance to “check the licenses” of the groups in the building, but the nature of the licenses to be checked was not immediately revealed. This article from the Times -Picayune says that some are linking the shutdown to an incident that happened on Saturday, when a “second line parade” called the Krewe of Eris clashed with police, or vice versa.

Some observers say that the police used unnecessary force not only on parade participants but also on observers seeking to film the clash. There is an ongoing probe based on local citizen complaints. The Krewe of Eris parade is reportedly one of several unsanctioned walking parades during carnival season.—Ruth McCambridge