[UPDATE: She’s out. Finally. I just spoke to her. See fully story as she just told it to me in 4th UPDATE at the bottom of this article.]
My friend and colleague, talk radio host Nicole Sandler — who does her own show, Radio or Not weekdays from 10p-Noon in Florida, and is the regular fill-in for the nationally syndicated Randi Rhodes Show — was arrested at an insane town hall event held by “Tea Party” Republican Congressman Allen West (FL-22) in Fort Lauderdale last night.
Nicole is a good friend of mine (I was on Randi’s show yesterday with her to discuss the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election recount, as she was filling in again for Randi) and this morning, SoFloRadio.com, which carries her show live at this hour, is running dead air. Her live U-Stream webcast channel is currently off-line as well.
I’ve been trying to reach her this morning, by text, phone, etc., but have had no luck so far. So, I am concerned and presume this means she was forced to spend the night in jail and may still be locked up. Insane.
Here is the video of the seemingly-psychotic West speaking at the event last night in Florida, as questions are hollered from the crowd, followed by video of Nicole, who is a constituent of West’s, being arrested for reasons not made apparent in the video…
The catcalls heard from the crowd in the video concerning “ballots or bullets” refers to a speech given at a “Tea Party” campaign rally last July 4th by Joyce Kaufman, a far-right FL radio host whom the freshman West had originally named as his Chief of Staff after winning the election last November. During her speech, she threatened: “If ballots don’t work, bullets will.” (See video of her complete speech here.) West was eventually forced to choose a different Chief of Staff.
Reports from the event say that West refused to answer questions from the crowd, choosing instead to speak only to pre-screened written queries. As reported by the Palm Beach Post today:
West said the new format wasn’t an attempt to dodge tough questions.
What a country. I’ll update when I can learn more…
UPDATE 8:55am PT: Here is another video from the event, this one by the Sun Sentinel, as posted with a more detailed Palm Beach Post article on the incident. This video shows the moment Nicole was escorted out of the auditorium, as she was being loudly booed and shouted down by West’s supporters…
UPDATE 10:27am PT: John Amato at Crooks & Liars has an update:
C&L writer Karoli adds…
UPDATE 10:46am PT: Via GottaLaff’s Political Carnival:
…Which means she was forced to spend the night in jail, despite having left the event when asked, but shouting at the cop when he continued to touch her. Is “Shouting at Cop Who Is Touching You” now an overnight-jailable offense in the state of Florida?
UPDATE 11:18am PT: FREE AT LAST. I just now spoke to Nicole. Finally. She’s now out, and on her way home after a night in jail, three hours in solitary, and getting maced by prison guards. Incredible. I will have her live on my KPFK (Pacifica Radio here in Los Angeles) at 3:30pm PT this afternoon to talk about all of this. [Update: That interview can now be heard here.]
But here’s what she just told me on the phone, as well as I could transcribe it…
I just got out of jail. Just had a Five Guys burger and fries, my first meal in the last 24 hours or so. First thing I did, I had CBS meet me as I was leaving. They’ll be running a story later today. We’re heading home now.
You’ll love this. You know that old ‘presumed innocent until proven guilty’ thing? They don’t do that down here in Broward County.
Now I understand what Bradley Manning was going through because I was put in solitary confinement. After bitching about it, I was maced. After being stuck in jail after about 3 hours, it was lunchtime. I said “can I please come out now, I’m really really sorry”.
I had been in the women’s area, there must have been 25 or 30 women in there. All but 4 of us were eventually called this morning to go before a magistrate.
Even though $25 bond was posted last night at 2am, and it’s 8am I’m still not released. They said the bond takes about 6 to 8 hours process.
So then they’re coming in to clean the cells. So they stuck all 4 of us in this one cell where they store the mattresses. A 12 by 7 feet. So they put the 4 of us in this cell with the 50 mattresses being stored, no air circulation, for a few minutes while they cleaned. And then they forgot about us.
After a while I see the women sent to the magistrate returned. We’re still stuck in there for at least an hour. I said to the guard, “You forgot about us.” He said “Oh, well, that happens.”
“That happens?!,” I said, “I think you owe us an apology. “You want an apology?” he said. “You see that cell up there? #1? You can have all the air you want. There’s your apology.” And he put me in there for like three hours. Solitary.
After being in there for hours with nothing to do, your mind plays tricks on you. In fact, while in there, they called my name, and I’m screaming “I’m in here! I’m in here!” They didn’t let me out. And another hour went by.
Lunch was then served, and I asked “can I come out?” The guard said “NO!” I said, “Well, do I get to eat?” He said yeah, he handed me some food and then the door opened again, and I sat on the top step outside the cell, and he said “GET BACK IN THEL CELL!” … And before I knew it, they were spraying me with mace. Not just once, but sprayed and sprayed to where I’m like screaming.
I can’t believe this happened. I said, “I’m in here because I tried to ask my Congressman a question at a town hall.”
Here’s the thing, Brad, it wasn’t a town hall meeting. He gave a presentation, and then he gave a speech. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have gone. But he billed it as a town hall meeting, where there are usually questions back and forth. It’s amazing.
Again, Nicole will be my exhausted, hopefully not-too-much-worse-for-the-wear (and mace) guest on KPFK at 3:30pm PT. [Update: That interview can now be heard here.]
Of course, this happens a lot. Remember all of those “Tea Party” folks who were arrested last summer, tossed in solitary and maced after asking questions and disrupting Democratic town hall events?
Right. Me neither.
UPDATE 2:04pm PT: BTW, looks like Nicole’s treatment at hands of Broward County cops is par for their course. From our coverage of the arrest of Ellen Brodsky, a candidate for Broward County Supervisor of Elections in 2008, after she had the temerity to try and observe votes being counted after her election:
J. Edgar Hoover tactics?
Perhaps.
Have someone near her yell out things then frame her.
Keep us informed Brad. We are all worried about Nicole. This is an outrage. It’s Gestapo tactics. These teabaggers are destroying our democracy! And to think this pig replaced Grayson! I would LOVE to see the paper ballots on THAT election!
Carry a gun to a rally, no problem. Ask a Congressman a question he doesn’t like at a town hall, and ya get arrested.
This is an embarassment to democracy.
This pig Allen West didn’t replace Alan Grayson. Allen West replaced Ron Klein. Taliban Dan Webster replaced Alan Grayson.
I’m wondering. Can anyone remember a Koch Industries-funded ‘Tea Bagger’ getting arrested for disrupting the town hall meetings that Democratic Congressmen attempted to conduct during the health care debate?
As to Allen West, and the rest of the right-wing screeds who thought it was perfectly okay to prevent reasonable discourse over the health care issue, but now seemed “shocked” that they would draw the ire of their constituents when the right-wing’s previously hidden, Medicare and Social Security-destroying agenda was exposed, a thought comes to mind:
Brad, Thanks for following this story.
Allen West doesn’t live in District 22. After winning he was required to move in to the district. Another Florida congressmember, Robert Wexler, was hounded enough about not owning a home, only sharing an apartment with someone else, in the district he represents by his last opponent, Ben Graber in 2008, that he resigned in 2009. Wexler rented an apt. for himself before the 2008 election. Ted Deutch won a special election to replace Wexler and was elected to a full term in 2010. More media hypocrisy that benefits rethuglicans like Al West. If Al West rents in district 22 he’s vulnerable to same residency questions as Wexler was. I knew of Wexler, Ron Klein because signing an online petition wexlerwantshearings.com (for impeachment hearings about Bush Crime family) put me on Wexler’s email list that he shared with Ted Deutch and Ron Klein. Wishing I had put aside my 1 issue grudge with Ron Klein and given him money.
The update is absolutely shocking and I sure hope that Nicole Sandler gets tons of coverage for the ridiculous, overaggressive post-custody treatment…which sounds far worse than even what Bradley Manning has faced.
Unfortunately, Democrats and liberal activists have ignored the frightening torture tactics employed by prisons in this country.
I’ve been falsely arrested a few times, but luckily never was treated like that even though I loudly proclaimed my rights and yelled at police officers and demanded to make phone calls, have charges read to me and pleas to speak to lawyers and internal affairs ignored.
There’s no reason to mace someone in custody.
when white conservatives mouth off, shut down meetings etc, it is righteous anger and the policitians they are attack are the scum of the earth, when anybody else mouths off, (not conservative, not white) it is a crime and politician are royalty that cannot be offended.
sigh..the neo cons are sure bold and getting bolder,but why wouldn’t they? they seem to KNOW we cant vote them out and we cant vote them out because we dont have open,transparent elections
i have been asking all ovr the net,how many peops actually voted in wis in the 4-5-11 election?
i know how many votes they say they have but no one seems to know how many peops voted so i decided to call the gab myself….they said because there is a recount we dont know how many people voted,i was like i don’t mean how many votes,i mean how many voted….i was passed around to diane lowells answering machine(which does me no good,i am hard to reach)..the point is its ovr 20 days past the election and they can not or will not say how many peops voted in wis….
i know im always bugging you asking to help brad but maybe they would tell you
GAB 608-266-8005 diane lowe seems to be the contact person
i know they know how many peops they had,it is reported in a form called GAB190
Glad she is out.
Hope she sues the bastards.
Hope she also sues the pigs.
I think we should have protestors attend GOP rallies and town-hall mtgs while CARRYING GUNS–Sidearms will do–Fully licensed and legal.
WE are responsible people & we have the right to carry guns to political rallies.
Period.
Let’s start doing it (just keep the guns UNloaded, and don’t tell anybody).
🙂
Nikto,
Probably not a good idea. If they see a gun they may shoot you and have a better chance of getting away with it.
Professor Turley Blog
There are two completely different sets of laws in the United States now.
One set of laws applies to the intelligent people who seek truth in defense of the Constitution.
The other set of laws applies to the simpletons who do the bidding of the corporations.
By the way, somebody needs to find out if the police presence at that event, if they were present throughout the presentation, was paid for with public funds. And, if so, why was the public paying for security at this clown’s private event?
Over at dkos there’s a diary with the cheerful news that the Florida GOP doesn’t intend to let anyone vote it out of power:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2...rn-to-Jim-Crow
My objection to nikto’s suggestion that Progressives bring guns to rallies goes beyond the tragic incident referenced in the Jonathan Turley link provided by DREDD.
Guns have no place at political rallies, irrespective of which side of the fence you sit on.
What part of “peaceful, non-violent” but active resistance are we having trouble understanding?
I’m glad I did not go to the event last night.
Your fellow Jail Bird,
Ellen H. Brodsky
Having problems posting on your website. The letters and numbers were not available in order to make a comment a few hours ago. So I hit the new ID in a box. Then a couple of minutes later the letters and numbers popped up. Never happened before. I am not technically inclined. Maybe it was just me.
Also when I was trying to make a comment earlier, the Greenblog and other articles were so slow..I just decided to try again later.
This is sickening. thank you for having her on with Cary
This is a terrible thing to have happened, but Nicole is my hero right now. She brought out the worst in those cops by just demanding decent treatment and her rights, which in itself, while not fun for Nicole, is a service for all of us who didn’t realize that the “pigs” of ’60s fame didn’t eventually just turn into decent cops and guardians of the peace–they retired to Broward County (and probably many other places as well) and had little piglets.
If Nicole starts a fund to go after these folks, I’ve got a $20 bill looking for a link or a mailing address.
Ron H
billy at 15 that is a great point
…Who was following her as she was being escorted out of the building in the first video, asking “Why were you trying to disrupt the event?” That was such a frame-up, that person was so obviously trying to get for the record that Nicole was disturbing the peace – and yet, we hear the speaker, in video 2, say “next question”…so it was quite clearly a Q&A session.
These Republicans and such pig-thugs.
Billy (14),
The third set of laws is for the corporations and their lackeys.
Brad:
How do they get away with stuff like this?
What can we do about it?
Mark
What a bunch of great little Nazi’s in that audience. Really scary how they are so intolerant of any dissent to this puffed up little charlatan, Allen West. God I hate these people!
Calvary Chapel Ft Lauderdale has assets of 129 million dollars. Yourgov’t provided a grant of over 1 million dollars to them last year. They spent exactly $62,847 on “Benevolence” last year.
Benevolence means an act of, or a general inclination towards, charity from WIKI.
Let’s call police brutality what it is. Great term that’s gone out of style. Let’s bring it back (the term, not the act!!!!).
How ironic that Rep West talks a great game about how he served in the military 20 years like his father, older brother, nephew, dog, cat, ect., ect., yadda, yadda, yadda to protect America’s freedoms all the while having people with dissenting views from his lead out and arrested. This is the kind of shit that would make dictators proud. What’s next Mr. West, are you going to have people ‘disappeared’ for daring to question you? Allen West would make Pinochet proud.
Hey Nicole, when the Deps tell to shut your big trap next time do so, when they say get back in the cell do so, when they think you just another bitch in the wall get over it.
By the way once you Maced the other inmates really don’t want you around as your “smell” pisses them off.
Wayne
Wow Wayne. You are a BIG MAN. No doubt if you were the arresting officer it would take great restraint not to pop that uppity bitch in the mouth. Maybe you would even do it.
Allen West would be happy to have you on his team.
Now, excuse me while I retch.
Having guys like Allen West in Congress gives new meaning to “lunatics running the asylum.”
Congressional Republicans treat their town hall constituents in a manner similar to how Palin and Angle perceive the role of the news media:
“We want them to only ask the questions that we want them to ask.”
Obviously that cop was trying to keep Nicole’s side of it from being recorded. Nicole was still leaving and merely answering a media question as she continued moving forward towards the exit when GestapoCop started pushing her.
After she yelled, “Stop touching me, stop pushing me”, etc…GestapoCop needed to escalate to an arrest to justify putting his hands on a non-resistant, clearly exiting person.
You could see him try to escalate the situation again as Nicole moved alongside of him in handcuffs, at exactly his swift pace.
Coppo suddenly yells, “Keep walking”, even though she is clearly doing exactly that with no hesitation whatsoever.
Cop’s problem is that even as he quickly escorted her away, Nicole was able to calmly, clearly describe events to numerous cameras and media who were keeping pace with her and cop.
The guy obviously wanted to start dragging her as fast as he could but did not dare. Too many witnesses…
Here’s the deal folks: you ought to expect this sort of crap from the teabag lunatics and nobody should go into one of their townhalls without serious backup. It’s not as easy to round up a crowd and throw them in a cell as it is one or two individuals.
Do not let this slide. Demand that this a-hole and others like him meet constituents in a public venue, not on “privatge property.” Especially not in a church… as this is the Christo-fascist stronghold and religious zealots like West feel quite comfortable behaving like the Gestapo in the company of fellow Christo-fascists.
This religious fanatic my think he is entitled to hide from his constituents, however, he has sworn to represent the people (ALL the people) in his district and all happen to have a constitutional right to redress of grievances… and that is exactly what a town hall is for. I’m not in Florida, but I’ll be damned if I allow my teabag rep to pull this crap in our district.
Nicole ought to be filing a lawsuit at this moment for false imprisonment and West’s tactics need to be squashed ASAP.