Lady Galaxy on the Front Lines at the NYC RNC protests

[BlumLaw1]

(Omy are we going to miss her here at the Fair. But, our LadyGalaxy is packing up and headed West; for sun, fun, and downtime. She promises to come back in a few years, and I for one will hold my breath until I see her again).

Anybody who knows me knows of my respect for Nikki, the 'Spray Paint Lady' aka LadyGalaxy.org. She at times has referred to my admiration as bordering on the obsessive. I keep myself a respectful distance. Noway I could ever live her life. At times I am very jealous of her capability of maintaining a free spirit lifestyle at her ummmm 'age'. With that being said, the following is my version of the tale she told me over coffee this morning. I invite her to correct the record anywhere she wishes just by clicking the 'Post Reply' button. Take her silence as being her assent to the events are recorded below. Obviously not every detail is included but the tale itself is presented; at least as how I heard it and interpreted it.

Last year in November, Nikki decided to try her hand at politics. She wanted to learn about the political situation in her country. The manner she selected was to join the FTAA protests in Miami. During that "lesson" she took several bullets fired by freaked out cops and suffered a serious head injury. No, I am not representing her. I wish. Here, at this link you can find the story along with pictures. http://ladygalaxy.org/ftaa

Which brings us to Monday, New York City, and the Republican National Convention. Being who she is, Nikki had kept in touch via the internet with events developing amongst the underground at ground zero of the protest rallies. Though she was entrenched here at the fair with a substantial financial investment to recoup, so all she could do was watch. That, and with her Miami police experience, she felt safer here than at the front lines. She is a lover, not a fighter. Her world is one filled with passion though not rage and she had no real role to play on the RNC stage.

What changed her mind and sent her off on a quest for justice was her hearing about 12 medics being arrested by police pre-protest. It irked her when she read about reporters being arrested for reporting. She got upset when legal observers were being arrested for just observing. But, it took the arrests of non involved persons self charged to be there to rescue people and save life that tripped Nikki's switch and sent her into the warzone. By last Monday morning, she was in the City; alone.

She ended up in the Evidence Intake office set up by the National Lawyers Guild. There, the NLG had set up legal services for the protesters. In the Evidence Intake Office, Nikki was collecting, sorting, and cataloguing all kinds of evidence coming in; such as video, fotos, reports, physical evidence, events, and written reports. After her experience in Miami, Nikki found a liking to working for the cause by being a slave for lawyers. (There are worse callings). Here, in this office, Nikki worked day and night; even sleeping there for security.

By midweek, Nikki had enough of being inside the office 24/7 and decided she needed to go for a walk. For reasons I do not understand fully no matter how many times she explained it, she says she took with her an American flag in a bag and while on her walk, she stopped to buy a roll of masking tape. Her explanation may be lacking but we love Nikki and we believe her when she says she did these things on a mere whim and not because she was intending to be involved in the events that follow,

Originally, she tells how she intended to go see the "Die-in" protesters were staging at ground zero to redraw attention to those already dead as well as those still dying in Mr. Bush's war. The Goddess was not in agreement and Nikki was guided elsewhere. Meandering about the streets in apparent aimless fashion, Nikki ended up at the SHUT UP protest in front of Fox Studios. Her angel guided her to a strange man wearing a "FUCK BUSH" t-shirt and upon inquiry, he led her to the front lines at Fox. Nikki says that immediately she "knew"she was where she was supposed to be.

Nikki wormed her way forward through the crowd and found herself a lightpole. Taking off her shirt and hiding it, she reached into her bag and used the American flag to wrap around herself over her bra. She says she considered dumping her pants and boots as well but she kept them on. Wrapped now in the flag, she slid down the pole, wrapped her arms around it, put masking tape over her mouth and eyes, and proceeded to chant. Here is the link showing her pictures. She is referred to as 'America'. http://www.basetree.com/photos/no-rnc/liberated-from-republicans.html

Blinded by tape and for her what felt like ten minutes later but what others reported to her as being but a couple of minutes. she heard the sounds of clicking cameras and the voice of a police officer. Nikki chanted on.

The police officer told her she had to move because she was allegedly, "blocking the street." Like me, she quizzes how this is possible when she was sitting on the sidewalk hugging a lightpole. The sounds of more police arriving and statements they were making to the media that had gathered prompted her to remove the tape from her eyes and mouth. Police were telling the media and crowd that Nikki just wanted to get arrested and to resist. Nikki kept telling them she was willing to cooperate and be peaceful.

When Nikki asked how she could possibly be blocking traffic sitting in on the sidewalk wrapped around a lightpole, the police response was to grab her arm, twist it back, and place her in cuffs. Nikki was charged with a misdemeanor and taken into physical custody.

In the process of cuffing her, police had stripped off the flag and left her there in public restrained wearing just her bra. At this point a middle aged man in a wheel chair decided to make a stand and rolled over next to Nikki, defending her, demanding that the flag be returned to her, and anybody who disputed that could arrest him if they wanted.

Ultimately the flag was returned and Nikki was driven away draped in the colors.

Perhaps if you are native to NYC, the words Dock 57 means something to you. To me, it meant nothing. To Nikki and the rest of the arrestees it was their temporary home and processing center. I am supposed to pass on word to the arresting and transporting officers that their solicitation of a handcuffed prisoner to join them at a party in their hotel room that upcoming thursday was a bit tacky. At least she gave them the NLG telephone number as her own. Also, since when are NYPD officers allowed to have German flags posted above their visor.

Dock 57 was described to me as being "horrific". Arrestees were led single file through a car wash. "Disgusting" was another word used. A place with signs posted that no entry was allowed without boots, gloves and goggles, was being used to corral sandled peaceniks. There were metal shavings all over the ground which itself was saturated with oil. Chain link pens had been constructed with the razor wire being placed on the inside instead of out which caused injury to anybody who leaned against the fence. water was made available via an outside faucet that the girls had to reach through razor wire to turn on and to drink from an aquarium style hose that was pulled through the wire.

My personal favorite part of the tale was her discussion of her piercings with the jailer. Nikki has 18 piercings; only a handful of them above the neck. Unfortunately for you, the details of their locations and types are something you will have to get from Nikki.

During processing, the police officers had issues with Nikki's american flag wardrobe and she was forced to substitute a paper hospital gown that is open in back. Food came hours and hours later, described as being either a baloney sandwich or a cheese sandwich along with warm milk. Later, when she was transported to the "Tombs", she found herself in a cell with forty women with the water supply being warm and from a single sink. Jailers tormented the detainees by eating yummy food and drinking soda pop.

The ironic thing about all of this was that during her processing at the Tombs, Jaliers had Fox News blasting throughout the facility.

In the end, Nikki was granted an ACD and discharged to return to the NLG offices to slave away until Friday when she came home to the NYS Fair.

Nikki, may the best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrows. Remember, you carry with you the burden of the hopes and dreams of the rest of us. Be strong and never give up your dreams.