Person Opposing Data Center Arrested for Clapping at City Meeting
2 days ago
- A high school physics teacher, Lux Claridge, was arrested for clapping during a city council meeting in Emporia, Kansas.
- Claridge attended the meeting to oppose a proposed hyperscale data center on 1,000 acres of rural land.
- The city commissioner warned attendees not to clap; Claridge clapped after a speaker finished and was ordered to leave.
- Claridge refused to leave, was handcuffed and dragged out by police, and later charged with disorderly conduct and interference with police.
- The Emporia Police Department denied a public records request for the arrest report, citing an active criminal investigation.
- The meeting lasted nearly five hours, with most residents opposing the data center; the commission voted 5-0 to approve it.
- The data center's developer, Gary Pinkston, claimed in bankruptcy court that he was not involved with the project, contradicting an op-ed he published.
- Claridge's brother, a candidate for state representative, condemned the arrest as a violation of First Amendment rights.