データセンター建設反対で長時間発言した農家が逮捕、抗議を宣言

imageIn February, Oklahoma native Darren Blanchard attended a city council meeting in Claremore with the plan to speak out against a proposed datacenter in the community. When he went a few seconds over his allotted 3 minute time limit, the city ordered Blanchard arrested and transported to the county jail. The city charged Blanchard with trespassing, according to police records 404 Media has obtained about the incident. Blanchard has vowed to fight the charges.

The arrest occurred on February 17 during a Claremore City Council meeting where city officials were set to hear from the public about Project Mustang, a proposed data center. City residents are concerned about the datacenters' use of water, what might happen to their electricity bills, and how noisy the building will be. Answers aren’t forthcoming and Beale Infrastructure, the company behind the datacenter, won’t talk to local media and has gotten city officials to sign non-disclosure agreements.

According to the police report we obtained, city officials and police expected a huge crowd for the city council meeting and leased space from Rogers State University to accommodate everyone. Claremore also established a speaking limit and notified participants when their time was up as the meeting proceeded.

When Blanchard rose to speak, he went a few seconds over his time limit and the city officials immediately sent the cops after him. “Darren Blanchard was called to speak and did. Blanchard continued speaking past the predetermined limit established at the start of the meeting. City Manager John Feary addressed Blanchard, informing him to stop, and he continued,” the police report said.

“Feary then notified police to have Blanchard removed. I informed Blanchard that he was asked to leave and needed to do so. Blanchard then continued to the front of the room where counselors sat behind a table and insisted on giving them paperwork,” according to the police report. “Sergeant Singer then directed me to place Blanchard under arrest for trespassing. Blanchard was placed in handcuffs, escorted from the property, and transported to Rogers County Jail.”

The City charged Blanchard with trespassing, a municipal crime that carries a penalty of $200. A week after the arrest, Blanchard appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. “We feel that he was arrested unconstitutionally against his first amendment rights to petition his government and to free speech,” Colleen McCarty, Blanchard’s lawyer, told Tulsa NewsChannel 8 outside the courtroom after he entered his plea.

Since his arrest, Blanchard has made several public appearances speaking out against datacenters and recounting what happened at the meeting. “True story. I was at a public meeting a few weeks ago and went slightly over my speaking time and got thrown in the slammer there in China, I mean Rogers county,” he said at an anti-data center rally in March. “Boy I tell ya, James Maddison is rolling in his grave. It’s funny they tried to silence me by stripping me of my rights but in turn they’ve given me an even bigger platform to spread my message.”