Oberschullehrer verhaftet, weil er zur Unterstützung von Anti-Datenzentrums-Aktivisten geklatscht hatte

Excerpts from article by Joe Wilkins, citing [small town reporting](https://www.kwch.com/2026/07/22/teacher-arrested-carried-out-emporia-city-commission-meeting/) in Kansas, US:

*If you’re among the millions of US citizens against power-hungry data centers going up in your town, you may want to be careful about how you exercise your First Amendment right to protest.*

*Last week, high school physics teacher Lux Claridge was hauled out of a public meeting by four police officers for the baffling crime of clapping in support of an anti-data center speaker.*

*During the public comment portion of the meeting, held by the Emporia City Commission in Lyon County, Kansas, residents who showed up to voice opposition to a 1,000-acre data center project were warned against „clapping“ and „snapping“ in support of speakers.*

*“It was very clear at the beginning that each person is given their two minutes, and we’re trying to be respectful of that,“ Emporia commissioner Monica Duncan warned those in attendance, footage of the meeting shared on social media shows. „Snapping, clapping, any other rude comments or anything — we will ask you to leave.“*

*As one speaker later wrapped up her two-minute comment period, stating „we are the people, and the table belongs to us,“ Claridge was filmed clapping his hands together a total of six times.*

*“Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything?“ an unidentified commissioner, likely Duncan, then asked Emporia police chief Ed Owens.*

*At the commissioners‘ request, four police officers then swarmed Claridge, who challenged them to „drag me out,“ which they did after placing the physics teacher in handcuffs.*

 

*[…] The data center in question, known as the „Flint Hills Digital Campus,“ is a planned hyperscale data center. If it ever gets built, could easily be the largest data center in the state of Kansas.*

*The hypocrisy on display at the meeting where Claridge was arrested — where procedural rules are clearly being weaponized against concerned citizens — may be particularly acute in the small Kansas town, but it’s also part and parcel of the situation unfolding all across the United States as distrust with the tech industry soars to unprecedented heights.*

*When big business interests march into town, civic leaders and their watchdogs on the local police force roll out the red carpet — Emporia commissioners voted unanimously to annex over 1,000 acres for Pinkston’s data center just one day after it was announced — yet when the people who live there ask to be included in the process, they’re insulted by officials, surveilled by police, and hauled off to jail.*

Pop-up-free link:

– https://removepaywalls.com/https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/high-school-teacher-arrested-clapping-194922184.html

1000 ACRES?! Not sure how that compares to an average data center but that seems fucking gigantic.

This will Streisand effect.

I would love to hear what the actual charges are. there is no way the police can justify this arrest.

Dear tweakers:

Under construction data centers are poorly guarded and are CHOCK FULL of copper wire, tools, and various other easily scrapped items

The purpose of police forces is to protect capital and break organization.

ACLU enters the chat

“Snapping, clapping, any other rude comments or anything — we will ask you to leave.“

Snapping and clapping is rude now? Six claps after a speaker is finished talking? To who? The people on the other side with an unpopular opinion? Fucking snowflakes.

Here’s the City’s response, from their website- [https://www.emporiaks.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/503](https://www.emporiaks.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/503)

What’s the charge? Any news article that doesn’t tell me what the alleged crime is is wasting my time.

Yea, America is fucked. People getting arrested for clapping now?

Start voting for your council memebers that aren’t rich bored folks looking to get into politics. Vote for the teachers and firefighters and local folks that look like they give a damn.

So… they’ve now actually instituted „thoughtcrime“. Don’t do „crimethink“ people, Big Brother doesn’t like it.

Replace Data Center with “asbestos factory” or “lead paint plant”.

Different era, same bad product.

What a perfectly normal and democratic thing to happen

I hope all these municipalities are sued out of existence.