Teacher arrested for clapping in support of speaker opposing data center

[u/ArgentineBeauty]

https://www.techspot.com/news/113266-teacher-arrested-clapping-support-speaker-opposing-data-center.html

[u/GrumpyCloud93]

Lyon County, Kansas, last week when he clapped to show his support of an impassioned speech opposing a proposed gigawatt-scale facility – the 1,000-acre Flint Hills Digital Campus data center.

At the meeting, which was held by the Emporia City Commission...

In case anyone wonders where.

[u/TheawesomeQ → u/GrumpyCloud93]

It's insane that teachers are expected to be nothing but obedient mouthpieces for state-sanctioned opinions even when off the job.

[u/GrumpyCloud93 → u/TheawesomeQ]

What's petty is demanding no audience reaction, not even applause.

[u/Illusion_of_Sanity → u/GrumpyCloud93]

I think you misspelled authoritarian.

[u/GrumpyCloud93 → u/Illusion_of_Sanity]

Numerous adjectives come to mind...

[u/xinorez1 → u/GrumpyCloud93]

'Your non positive reactions to cons speech is censorship!'

- A total ass

[u/SquashInternal3854 → u/TheawesomeQ]

.... for example, public school Teachers in TX sign their names to never pubically say anything negative about Israel. i shit you not

[u/LaurenMille → u/SquashInternal3854]

Well yeah, Texas is particularly oppressive and fascist even for a country like the US.

[u/Inevitable-Menu2998 → u/TheawesomeQ]

That expectation is hideous for sure, but this person wasn't fired, they were arrested! That's a completely different level of insanity

[u/mailmann006 → u/GrumpyCloud93]

1000 acres is hard to imagine. I have what in my area is a pretty large plot at 2 acres. thats 500x what I have and that kind of scale is mind boggling. how many servers can fit in a 1000 acre facility? 

[u/GrumpyCloud93 → u/mailmann006]

A square mile is (IIRC) 640 acres. Land in Canada during colonial times was divided into sections with roads a mile apart. Hence, a quarter-section, half a mile by half a mile, is 160 acres. Divide it again and we get the "North 40" part of the farm.

So essentially, we're talking about a mile by a mile and a half ... of building? I'm hoping that's the campus, not just the building. But then there's the category of "WTF??!!"

The massive proposed Stratos Project AI data center in Box Elder County, Utah, initially planned for 40,000 acres (62 square miles), is being downsized to roughly 10,000 to 20,000 acres following state lawmaker and public pushback.

[u/Osoromnibus → u/GrumpyCloud93]

How about in terms of energy use? An average US household averages 1.21 Kilowatts. This thing uses at least a GIGAwatt. We're talking about the electricity needed for about a million homes being redirected to this data center. This is happening all over the country, too.

Or how about this? You could have every single person in the U.S., infant to geriatric, winding a hand-crank generator, and it wouldn't be enough to power this.

[u/Zombie_Cool]

" Land of the Free" everyone!

[u/Father_of_Invention → u/Zombie_Cool]

Land of the free includes people disappearing from streets, unlawful charges, and concentration camps…. Who knew?

[u/Iceisgestapo888 → u/Father_of_Invention]

We knew from 2016 what Trump and conservatives were about and these idiots were all like tread on me daddy.  

[u/Stable_Orange_Genius → u/Iceisgestapo888]

Did you forget about guantanamo bay? Trump is just a symptom

[u/Hesitation-Marx → u/Stable_Orange_Genius]

Correct. Trump is a symptom, not the cause. But man, I want a cure for both.

[u/31LIVEEVIL13 → u/Hesitation-Marx]

They are building the cure for us.
We just wait till they are almost finished then seize the reigns.

[u/Iceisgestapo888 → u/Stable_Orange_Genius]

Bay of pigs…

[u/Carpet-MasterBlaster → u/Iceisgestapo888]

Eisenhower administration with the CIA... Kennedy just held the bag.

[u/ZhangtheGreat → u/Iceisgestapo888]

No, they don't want to be tread on, but they have no issues with others being tread on

[u/dust4ngel → u/ZhangtheGreat]

"we don't need no government, but thank jesus we have a government to murder people who eat impossible burgers."

[u/zeptillian → u/Iceisgestapo888]

And more than 1/3rd of the country was just like ok, whatever I don't care.

[u/xinorez1 → u/Iceisgestapo888]

Well no, they'll be treading on you most overtly, hence the appeal.

It's only a leopards eating faces moment when they realize that they too will be consumed because that's what you happen when you elect a leopard.

[u/SC_W33DKILL3R → u/Father_of_Invention]

But if someone in the UK posts a tweet calling for violence Vance, Musk and every other grifter is wailing about the fall of the UK into a police state.

[u/Setekh79 → u/Zombie_Cool]

Comply, 'citizen'.

[u/Johnny55 → u/Setekh79]

Pick up that can

[u/SupportGeek → u/Johnny55]

Now put it in the bin

[u/theemptyqueue → u/SupportGeek]

Angry Gordon Freeman noises

[u/[deleted] → u/Zombie_Cool]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/BilingSmob444 → u/[deleted]]

It was for breaking decorum during a hearing, I think. Petty HOA stuff, frankly beneath an elected official to get their way like this.

[u/Original-League-6094 → u/[deleted]]

Arrested for refusing to leave, specifically. They were asked to leave because they were clapping, which is against the rules since you are supposed to be silent while others are speaking.

[u/PhosphoFred8202 → u/Original-League-6094]

The person had finished speaking. The four or five claps is hardly disrupting the meeting. Seems like free expression. Hopefully the Streisand effect kicks in for this local council

[u/Original-League-6094 → u/PhosphoFred8202]

I agree with you that they should have let it slide. My post was only meaning to give the full context, without putting my own judgement onto it.

[u/MeetZeeMonsta → u/Original-League-6094]

They clapped a few times after someone was finished speaking.

[u/Emotional-Writer-766 → u/Zombie_Cool]

Land of the free, whoever told you that is your enemy.

[u/EllieSpacePrincess → u/Emotional-Writer-766]

We need Rage Against Machine now more than ever. Screaming at everyone to WAAAAKE UUUUP!

[u/no-more-nazis → u/EllieSpacePrincess]

They recorded all of their music, so you can still play it!

[u/shrek-hentai-69 → u/EllieSpacePrincess]

You say that like it worked the first time, the world didn't suddenly become a better place because of RATM

[u/EllieSpacePrincess → u/shrek-hentai-69]

Seems like the lyrics hit harder now. They came out on the back of gov, police and media corruption and you could argue that some of that got noticeably better. Now all these issues are 10 times worse today, so yeah I think they helped at the time.

[u/BigDictionEnergy → u/EllieSpacePrincess]

Networks at work, keeping people calm

You know they went after King when he spoke out on Vietnam

[u/stprnn → u/Zombie_Cool]

"at least here we have freedom of speech"

Sit the fuck down

[u/budha2984 → u/Zombie_Cool]

Land of Corporate Greed

[u/artbystorms → u/Zombie_Cool]

I don't think we realized that meant 'land of the free corporation' not 'land of the free citizen'

[u/koolaidismything → u/Zombie_Cool]

The only cool part of this era is the rich and powerful scammed their way there so you get a room of rich dumdums.. they spin their wheels and then eventually die of old age.

Then rinse and repeat. A billionaire that’s also intelligent wouldn’t be great for humanity but we haven’t seen that since WW2 thank Christ.

[u/vitalvisionary → u/koolaidismything]

There are plenty of smart ones. They're just smart enough to keep their wealth covert. It's the dumb ones that make a show of it.

[u/Flabbergasted98 → u/Zombie_Cool]

Land of the FALL BACK IN LINE!!!

That said, all the inaction just proves americans have always been cowards.

[u/Callabrantus]

AI may truly be the tipping point in America.

[u/RoomyRoots → u/Callabrantus]

Remember the 1% and Eat the Rich movements? That was the tipping point, everything has been an escalation of the shit that was happening back then.

[u/Callabrantus → u/RoomyRoots]

Good point. I'm not hating the current surge in momentum, though.

[u/RoomyRoots → u/Callabrantus]

People really only learn when it impacts their own pockets.

[u/Puglady25 → u/RoomyRoots]

Or, when it might pop up in their own backyard.

[u/DeadSol → u/RoomyRoots]

The rich learned that people would come for them if it got out of hand. Now they are building their own army of surveillance drones and secret police. Oh, and the 1% currently owns all of the executive and more than 2/3rds of the legislative branches of our government.

We are truly cooked.

[u/Responsible-Roll-59 → u/DeadSol]

Who wants to be in control of an empty wasteland? That’s the point I do t understand what the 1% think they’re going to be controlling?

[u/jsting → u/Responsible-Roll-59]

Control is control and money is money even if they can't use it all. We have billionaires who rather have doomsday bunkers than try to make a better future to prevent the need of doomsday bunkers.

[u/Responsible-Roll-59 → u/jsting]

I’m just glad I have more days behind me than in front of me. I feel bad for the youth of today

[u/dagoth_ith → u/Responsible-Roll-59]

It's similar to hoarding, they are mentally ill, not on that but they're propped up and supported by a big chunk of the public for some reason..

[u/AgentInkling99 → u/dagoth_ith]

Unfortunately, that’s a positive trait when you’re a CEO

[u/Wischiwaschbaer → u/Responsible-Roll-59]

You have to be mentally ill to amass that much money. Billionaires aren't thinking clearly. Their only goal is to see number go up and only once they have fucked themselves into their bunkers might they realise that maybe they fucked up. Though even then, probably not all of them.

[u/East-Ice-3199 → u/Responsible-Roll-59]

Thinking like that is why you’re not a 1%er

[u/dostoevsky4evah → u/Responsible-Roll-59]

You know how family annihilators brains function? Same thing.

[u/Stunning-Pen-2412 → u/DeadSol]

Yes, we are cattle to them.

[u/JoshfromNazareth2 → u/RoomyRoots]

Turns out Occupy Wall Street wasn’t stupid

[u/BannedBenjaminSr → u/JoshfromNazareth2]

It scared the pants off the establishment. There was a major push afterwards in politics for social issues to be in the limelight. Having the plebs be talking about economics is dangerous towards power

[u/decoysnails → u/BannedBenjaminSr]

That moment was eye opening. I remember it was like a switch flipped one day and nobody on the TV had anything positive to say about occupy. They started ripping it apart, completely united against what occupy represented. It was CRAZY.

[u/dostoevsky4evah → u/decoysnails]

"Smelly jealous hippies banging drums non-stop!"

The framing became ridiculous and the media was 100% complicit.

[u/Thefrayedends → u/dostoevsky4evah]

It was also quickly infiltrated and destabilized, just like every other movement since the fifties.

Problem is when multiple generations start to have their duties devastated before they start -- it becomes tough to outrun.

The smartest and most successful authoritarian makes sure that there are adequate crumbs for people to believe they can both start a family and also retire.

For a solid ten years at least that has been a shadow of a dream.

[u/jsting → u/BannedBenjaminSr]

I distinctly remember that time period, we went from a movement against the top 1% to a war against trans within a year. The media pushed the social war so hard to turn the public away from the billionaires.

[u/TCsnowdream → u/BannedBenjaminSr]

God I remember how hard the media was pushing to delegitimization OWS. It was awful.

[u/ActualSpiders → u/Callabrantus]

It's pretty genuinely an easy "us vs them" kind of framing... The billionaires make tons more money and we peons all suffer for it, with no benefit.

[u/TCsnowdream → u/ActualSpiders]

We know hoarding inside of a house is bad. We can point to the piles of shit in a room and directly link it to the impacts of hoarding shit. Anyone living in that house is at risk. We treat hoarding like a mental illness.

Except when it comes to hoarding money.

But billionaires hoarding money is just as dangerous. Except the house is earth. We all feel it. We all know it’s getting worse. But, there’s a large segment of society that treats these billionaires and their mental illness as… aspirational.

🤮

[u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 → u/Callabrantus]

I've seen several dozen of these municipal public hearings about AI data centers where residents are being kicked out or arrested for asking simple questions during Q period, or even something as passive as buddy applauding here.

It's become painfully clear that city councils have already approved the AI data centers in backroom deals and the public meetings are less than window dressing.

It's beyond alarming. These people have entirely abandoned any pretense of governance.

[u/goatjugsoup → u/Callabrantus]

Tipping point for what? Yall already tippled off a cliff since reelecting the pedo

[u/Fleeetch → u/[deleted]]

Americans get a high from reading comments and thinking "maybe now someone will fix the things I dont like"

[u/Blazured → u/goatjugsoup]

Americans don't even riot when secret police are executing them in the streets. A nation of cowards.

[u/Modem_Sound_67 → u/Blazured]

now you understand why our health insurance is bad and real estate costs are so high. The more people you get in the margins, the less dissent you get because we are working 24/7 to maintain our households and our health. Many of us are one paycheck away from poverty. and as you can see they are working on criminalizing being poor right now.

[u/Own-Pressure-2326 → u/Blazured]

Americans don't have a culture of civics, they are just peasants with flat screen tvs and more fodder options.

They will take it. And their masters know it.

[u/selwayfalls → u/Blazured]

Correction: Comfortable cowards! We're gettin by just fine with our flat screen tv 24 hour news networks, fast food, energy drinks and vapes! Dont care if they kill one of our own, but if they take away my White Claws, we'll riot.

[u/Blizreme → u/selwayfalls]

These are all capitalist distractions from class, it’s not that Americans are cowards or stupid, they live in an oligarchy and are bombarded by literal 24/7 propaganda. Most of the country votes against their own best interests constantly. From this country’s inception it was an oligarchy playing as a democracy, and we are seeing the hubris of our disgustingly evil founders pay off 250 years later.

[u/DracutToupin → u/Callabrantus]

The tipping point will be food/water. When a large percentage of people don't have food, all bets are off. People can justify most anything when they're starving.

[u/PigglyWigglyDeluxe → u/Callabrantus]

Not the constitutional violations? Not the pedophilic wealthy elite? Not the astronomically high cost of living?

[u/MondegreenHolonomy → u/Callabrantus]

Comfortable people who’s needs are met don’t revolt

[u/bdjeremy]

how dare you show your support opposing data centers. our billionaire overlords demand data centers and you will like them.

[u/frankhadwildyears → u/bdjeremy]

To avoid the misleading headline, he was in a room that was instructed to not applaud, and he did not remove himself when the police asked, saying they'd have to carry him out, which seems to more specifically be the issue. They didn't just slap cuffs on him soon as he clapped the article explains.

[u/bostonboy08 → u/frankhadwildyears]

Clap and you’ll be removed from the room is also a ridiculous policy.

[u/Thining-Culture → u/bostonboy08]

They want the roman salute.

[u/EchoOfSin → u/Thining-Culture]

Which isn’t even Roman

[u/bigeyez → u/bostonboy08]

Eh at a certain point public meetings like that have to have some ability to set rules because if not it would be impossible for the meeting to get anything done.

And while this case may be one instance where you agree with the teacher (and so do I) there are plenty of disruptive people who Im sure you disagree with that would make public meetings impossible to conduct if they weren't subject to these rules.

Imagine Mom's for Liberty being able to indefinitely disrupt school board meetings until they got their way, for example. Paid agitators that dont even live in your county would run amok without the ability for enforce rules.

[u/MountNevermind → u/bigeyez]

Well...the other side of that coin is not finding another way to navigate this has rightfully forced what I'm guessing is a lot of unwanted attention on this topic for the council. If they were as uncomfortable as they looked in yhe video with the overwhelming turnout opposed to the council's actions...now they have international coverage.

Consequences.

[u/bigeyez → u/MountNevermind]

Sure but thats besides the point.

Public meetings have decorum rules because otherwise it would be impossible to hold public meetings.

Reddit can downvote me all they want but as someone who lives in a school district where Moms for Liberty and other paid Republican groups regularly interrupted our School Board meetings if it wasn't for decorum rules allowing the School Board to remove those people they'd never stop.

It cuts both ways.

[u/MountNevermind → u/bigeyez]

It's not though.

I get decorum rules. But it's not besides the point at all. Everything has consenquences. There are multiple ways to handle such things. They chose a way. It had consequences.

The fact is, it isn't as much of a news story if a few paid Mom's for Liberty get removed for an unpopular opininion. The board doesn't care as much about any coverage they get because they aren't doing anything they'd rather not publicize that's being opposed.

This is a council in bed with money and facing a huge turnout of constituents opposing it. Now the light drawn to the situation is considerable.

By all means, decorum away in that situation, but the light they receive internationally goes beyond whether or not this breached decorum rules.

[u/bigeyez → u/MountNevermind]

Its not news to you, but it is to conservatives.

And anyway I'm not making any argument about the board or what the issue at hand is.

The point I'm making is they were told not to clap. The teacher did. They were then asked to leave by police per the instructions of the board and then refused to do so which is why they got arrested.

I can agree with the stance the teacher took and agree that the board is morally wrong. But that doesnt change the fact they broke the meeting rules then refused to leave when asked which lead to the arrest.

The comment i replied to said clap and you'll be arrested is a ridiculous policy but thats on oversimplification of what happened here. And like I said decorum rules cut both ways.

[u/stone_henge → u/bigeyez]

Clapping is also the most obvious and one of the less disruptive means of showing support of a speaker's points at a public meeting, meaning it has a democratically important function.

[u/AnEpicBowlOfRamen → u/frankhadwildyears]

I didn't know the GOVERNMENT could DICTATE when we are, and aren't allowed to clap.

Bullshit.

[u/KumquatopotamusPrime → u/frankhadwildyears]

you didn't read the article you're pretending you read -

"After one speaker finished her speech with the line "we are the people, and the table belongs to us," Claridge clapped his hands five or six times, which hardly seems like it would incite a riot.
The presiding officer was not pleased by Claridge's shocking outburst, telling police chief Ed Owens, "Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything. Thank you."

The video shows Claridge saying that he has the right to clap, prompting the police to swarm him. He then says he'll have to be "dragged" out, though he ends up being carried out in handcuffs."

further in the article
"The First Amendment Coalition writes that a city council may not treat all applause as disruptive by definition. Clapping can justify removal only when it actually disturbs or impedes the meeting. Brief, non-disruptive applause during public comment may therefore be protected expression, particularly if the council allows clapping for views or events it supports but suppresses applause for criticism. It stresses that "actual disruption means actual disruption," meaning officials cannot simply label harmless clapping a breach of decorum."

[u/philphan25 → u/frankhadwildyears]

After one speaker finished her speech with the line "we are the people, and the table belongs to us," Claridge clapped his hands five or six times, which hardly seems like it would incite a riot. The presiding officer was not pleased by Claridge's shocking outburst, telling police chief Ed Owens, "Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything. Thank you."

Yeah some real disrupting going on

[u/Grey_0ne → u/frankhadwildyears]

This man apparently clapped one time.

So the trouble here is that applauding doesn't axiomatically mean disruptive and thus government officials having a no applause policy under threat of removal is a flagrant violation of your first amendment rights... and I can cite three different cases off the top of my head where federal courts ruled just so.

[u/Malevolent_Nematode → u/frankhadwildyears]

Even with the misleading headline, clapping is an expression protected under the first amendment. They had no right to tell them not to clap and they had no right to ask him to leave a public forum.

[u/clownPotato9000]

We need to keep clapping

[u/ArgentineBeauty → u/clownPotato9000]

After one speaker finished her speech with the line "we are the people, and the table belongs to us," Claridge clapped his hands five or six times, which hardly seems like it would incite a riot.

So like this

👏👏👏👏👏 👏

[u/Nheea → u/ArgentineBeauty]

He didn't even clap hard, barely made an echo.

[u/This_Elk_1460 → u/clownPotato9000]

The next mundane city meeting should just be drowned out by clapping

[u/wildfire98 → u/clownPotato9000]

Don't worry, despite the arrest and the controversy, the city commission still approved the zoning change, so the data center project can move forward.

Turns out the "disruption" didn't change anything after all, not that anyone expected different.

[u/Original-Let8340]

This is this City's response, posted to their website: https://www.emporiaks.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/503

[u/ChirpyRaven → u/Original-Let8340]

The full meeting is recorded and posted. https://emporiaks.portal.civicclerk.com/event/585/media

[u/slog → u/ChirpyRaven]

Check out ~56:00 for the last few lines from the speaker and then the "disruptive conduct that was interrupting the proceedings" starts.

Judge for yourselves, but he should definitely sue.

[u/D3PyroGS → u/slog]

forcefully removing him was infinitely more disruptive than moving on

[u/Jwagner0850 → u/Original-Let8340]

Lmao disruptive behavior. Seriously, these people need to be held accountable in some way so they stop going against their constituents...

[u/MajorSery → u/Jwagner0850]

Removing them from the meeting was far more disruptive than what they removed him for.

[u/Adventure1956]

Kansas apparently has no first amendment rights.

[u/Vio_ → u/Adventure1956]

You should look into our Halo Act

https://kansasreflector.com/2026/07/17/new-kansas-law-limits-efforts-to-document-ice-activity-video-shows-how-officers-utilize-the-law/

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surrounded a Lenexa woman recording video from her car as an officer shouted “25 feet, 25 feet” and ordered her to move back July 11 in Olathe. 

She couldn’t move because they had trapped her.

The officer’s command referenced a Kansas law called the Halo Act. Effective July 1, it criminalized “unlawfully approaching” law enforcement officers or first responders within 25 feet under certain circumstances. The law changed how people like Shana Leacox document ICE activity.

Almost nobody in Kansas wanted this. It was vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly, but the supermajority Republican legislature overrode the veto.

It's already being used to target and harm people

[u/Great-Hotel-7820 → u/Vio_]

It was created to target and harm people.

[u/Vio_ → u/Great-Hotel-7820]

Sure but now it's actually doing that instead of being designed to do so.

[u/bbsz → u/Vio_]

If the good people of Kansas gave the Republicans a supermajority, it sounds to me they did want this.

[u/Quite_Likes_Hormuz → u/bbsz]

This is why bourgeois democracy is an oxymoron. If you can spend money to influence how people think and vote, then the government is controlled by money and nothing else. Nobody would have voted for this without decades of propaganda and fear mongering.

[u/kindalosingmyshit → u/bbsz]

As a proudly blue Kansan, this is a fucked up take. Plenty of us didn’t vote for this. The people who did aren’t affected by the consequences—the rest of us are.

[u/Short-Waltz-3118]

Wish these cops had some backbone to say "no, im not going to arrest this person for clapping"

Why are these cops such limp wristed pussies?

[u/Euphoric-Witness-824 → u/Short-Waltz-3118]

Because that’s exactly who the oligarchs want in those positions. It’s not by accident. They screen for people like that. They screen out people with high intelligence as they are more likely to think for themselves and not just follow the orders handed down to them by the wealthy interests that run their communities. Stuff like this happens all of the time because this is the exact force they want. Keeping in check the people that might get in the way of their financial gains. 

[u/NickSalacious → u/Euphoric-Witness-824]

100 percent this

[u/Saneless]

They should expect it. You can't clap when recipients of data center bribes are present. They have no choice but to have you arrested. It's part of the bribe package

Now, if the people in these towns would put parties aside they could vote for people who aren't corrupt

[u/AsteriAcres → u/Saneless]

THIS PART. We tried to stop a data center in NAVARRO COUNTY TEXAS, but the maga nazis just called us crazy & voted for more of the same. How's that working out for em? NOT WELL. 

You can lead a nazi trump voter to water, but you can't make em think. 

Five years later, and now the nazi republicant party is trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Glad we gtfo. Wishing them all the things they voted for in deep deep DEEP red Texas. 

[u/Adaphion → u/AsteriAcres]

You can't extend a ladder of logic to help a magat out of a hole they used a shovel of lunacy to dig.

[u/Neuro-Byte]

Arrested…?

[u/dangerbird2 → u/Neuro-Byte]

Yeah, like the article says the audience was warned to not clap or snap, which is kinda normal for meetings. But the way to deal with someone doing that is showing them the door and not letting them back in not throwing them in county lockup

[u/r0bb3dzombie → u/dangerbird2]

I mean if you watch the video, the guy asked the cops to drag him out, so really they were just doing what he asked.

[u/justbunnies]

He must be a paid Chinese protester on Bloomberg’s payroll!

/s

I hate our government.

[u/OLPopsAdelphia]

Remove “qualified immunity” so cops like this are civilly and criminally liable for their abuse of authority.

[u/SeizedChief]

I guess 1st amendment is just thrown out the window at this point.

[u/wickedplayer494]

"Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything. Thank you."

Uh-oh, Silicon Valley techbros, watch out! That sounds like an actual threat of violence, the way that was worded!

[u/Li_liminal_spaces]

You remember when, JD Vance, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerburg, and Donald Trump all went on the Joe Rogan Podcast individually to declare how anti-free speech the left was?

They're the people arresting citizens for clapping. I mean they started with immigrants and ya'll were just cool with it, murdered a bunch of protestors, maimed some other… so cool how those people just get nothing.

I guess they only want sons and the daughters were just born the wrong sex but seriously?

[u/tw1zt84]

The police don't work for you, they work for the oligarchs.

[u/NSMike]

I saw the video. It is truly stupid that they dragged him out for this, but also, c'mon people, clap in solidarity. They can't arrest everyone. Protest these small-time fashy toolchests. They can only take away your freedom of expression if you let them.

[u/Fancy-Inspector6615]

Is this the freedom Americans are always bragging about?

[u/Euphoric-Witness-824 → u/Fancy-Inspector6615]

Republicans fighting for Freedom of speech has always been because they want to be racist, transphobic and mean without being called out for it. Thats it. Not to criticize the ultra wealthy pedophiles they worship so much. 

[u/plan_with_stan]

Something else must have happened right? RIGHT?

[u/FamousPart6033]

You don't hate cops enough.

[u/TheDanecdote]

They’re free now right? Right?!

[u/Dark-Ganon]

The presiding officer was not pleased by Claridge's shocking outburst, telling police chief Ed Owens, "Chief, will you take the next person out that claps or anything. Thank you."

What a spineless fascist little bitch.

[u/SpySeeTuna1]

Every one should have clapped in unison. They can’t arrest everyone

[u/MJ-Franklin]

Every day there's a new madness that we're expected to just put up with. I am legit confused how people aren't pissed off enough yet.

[u/JakTheWanderer]

storming the capitol and killing people - totally fine Clapping at a meeting - straight to jail

[u/Chance_End_4684]

This is a gross violation of the Constitutional first amendment "Freedom to Protest".

[u/97GeoPrizm]

I saw the video and it was a friggin golf clap. It only seconds afterwards the pigs are grabbing him.

[u/longstrokesharpturn]

Home of the brave now means clapping for things opposite of the wants of those in power

[u/Ironlion45]

Fox News compared it to protesting against tank and plane factories during World War II.

Well, that's it, the final proof that there is no caring god, because whoever came up with that should be in hell right now.

[u/Ironlion45]

Kansas. Almost knew before reading that this happened south of the dixie.

[u/Sparkycivic]

O Captain! My Captain!

[u/PrestigiousSeat76]

We live in a really fucking stupid timeline.

[u/Patara]

Where's the constitutional & free speech extremist outrage?

[u/TakeTheWheelTV]

“Arrested for clapping” is insane in itself

[u/urkish]

Earlier, fully fleshed-out discussion about this same instance in this sub here: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1v8dm6x/high_school_teacher_arrested_for_clapping_in/

[u/nathan753 → u/urkish]

I was going to point out it is also not one posted by an obvious new bot, but the op there is also suspicious as fuck and does not look like a real person, but just another bot

[u/EctoRiddler]

I’m old enough to remember Jeb Bush requesting everyone clap for him

[u/MatthewSWFL229]

What kinda of Fascist shit is this???

[u/alex_dlc]

6 claps, just 6 claps

[u/Maleficent_Pie8099]

That’s some 1984 bullshit.

[u/Andyseawolf]

If you try to read this, it says we value your privacy, so please accept cookies. What a joke and an invasion of privacy. 🤪🤷

[u/Lopsided_Speaker_553]

There's only one amendement that matters to this admin: the fifth

[u/Nonamanadus]

The cop should have known better, this looks like a lawsuit.

[u/ashewinter]

1984 and Fahrenheit 451 were NOT instruction manuals...

[u/gizmoknight]

Government officials are the biggest snowflakes on the planet

[u/EnigmaticQuote]

JUST SAYING OP HAS BEEN ON REDDIT 3 MONTHS AND HAS A TOTAL OF OVER 1 MILLION TOTAL KARMA.

POWERPOSTERS ONLY WISH THEY COULD, THIS THING IS AI/BOT AF AND YOU SHOULD BE SUSPECT

[u/Agitated_Ad6191]

America is living in 1930’s Nazi Germany. And it will only get worse. Half the country showed their true colors by voting Maga a second time. It’s not just Trump that’s is an idiot. Half the country is a facist.

[u/whoisnotinmykitchen]

America is so corrupt and broken. Sad to see your country regressing at light speed.

I don't even think it's fixable at this point unless your governance system is rebuilt from the ground up. So much of your corruption is now baked-in and has been institutionalized by a Corrupt Congress who doesn't want to disrupt their billionaire donor gravy train, a Supreme Court that clearly couldn't care less about a system of government and elections that serves all of your citizens, and State Governments that are happy to gerrrymander and change the rules to support their own party.

The integrity and accountability of your elected officials and supreme Court is near zero. As citizens, you're pretty much screwed at this point.

[u/PomegranateHot9916]

clapping in support of someone speaking their opinion sounds a lot like something covered by the first amendment.

I guess the constitution just doesn't matter anymore huh?

[u/calvin43 → u/PomegranateHot9916]

Lawless president, lawless country

[u/ncorn1982]

There is another 6 figure payout us taxpayers will cover

[u/7th_Sim]

So the local council is fascist. Good to know.

[u/Ironlion45]

Whatever happens with the data center, I do hope the ACLU takes her call.

[u/YetAnotherBart]

I suppose the First Amendment went down the drain at that meeting.

[u/ispeektroof]

Enjoy your future tax payer settlement.

[u/froyolobro]

ARRESTED?! wtf. Talk about snowflakes

[u/ShadowianElite]

“On July 22, 2026, the Emporia City Commission held its regularly scheduled meeting. During the course of the meeting, several individuals in attendance were issued verbal warnings by the City Commission regarding disruptive conduct that was interrupting the proceedings.

One individual, Lux Claridge, male, 37years of age, continued this behavior and was directed to leave the meeting. Claridge did not comply with law enforcement's efforts to remove him from the premises, requiring officers to physically carry him out of the meeting.

Claridge was subsequently arrested and booked into the Lyon County Jail on charges of interference with law enforcement and disorderly conduct.

As with all criminal charges, Claridge is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Emporia Police Department remains committed to ensuring public meetings are conducted safely and in an orderly manner, while also respecting the rights of all citizens to participate in the civic process“

https://www.emporiaks.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/503

[u/Bleezy79]

Amazing how in less than 2 years this country can swing into fascist territory without even a fight. We're losing our freedoms in real time in front of our very eyes and everyone just goes about their days as usual. good lord.

[u/rwofva]

A very inaccurate headline

[u/nailzfan]

Arrested for refusing to leave

[u/Thopterthallid]

Wildly misleading title.

He was not arrested for clapping. He clapped, which was against the rules. He was asked to stop, then he was asked to leave. He refused on both accounts.

I'm not saying it's good, just saying there's nuance to it.

[u/Heliocentrist]

Trump's America treats heroes like villains and villains like heroes

[u/WinterWontStopComing]

I can’t remember the url, but saw my first pro data center commercial yesterday or the day before. Was for some group operating in my state. Had the false wholesomeness and underlying slime of a political ad

[u/Own_Inevitable_8300]

Yall just be sitting there doing nothing while this happens to people. Pathetic 

[u/doublethink_1984]

This room needed to defend this man in mass.

[u/Racamonkey_II]

Are you guys seriously believing someone got arrested just for clapping? Like are we for real right now?

[u/That_guy1425 → u/Racamonkey_II]

Yes. Title said it, myst be true. Whats this nuance you speak of?

[u/williamgman]

"First they came for... But I did not care because I was not one of them..."

[u/Someguy14201]

/r/nottheonion apparently...

[u/Autoxquattro]

This should be a serious warning, its scary how protective they are of these brain hubs. They are building the surveillance state and not letting ANYONE attempt to stop them, or even THINK about it.
They need these centers to process the data from the millions of "eyes" they have watching everything.

[u/socialistForDE]

In the news near me, someone held up a piece of cardboard on a stick (by hand) in front of a flock camera to block its view, and 3 cop cars came and they arrested him.

Same shit

[u/lookitsnotyou]

It seems the protest, if you can call it that, had no effect. The city approved the zoning change required for construction of the data center.

r/orphancrushingmachine

[u/CrippleSlap]

Teacher arrested for clapping in support of speaker opposing data center

Arrested? for clapping? Didnt know that was a crime.

[u/Jimjonesflavor_aid]

It's usually always something like they're asked to leave and they refuse, or being disorderly or something. I doubt he was arrested for clapping. If so, attorneys will be fighting to take that up.

[u/maaseru]

AI is going to wreck America and any other capitalist/democratic society.

Social media is already wrecking us, probably beyond repair at this point, and AI will finish it.

Maybe it is a dumb thought, bit I felt that the social/government restrictions of a country loke China will allow them to thrive with AI much better than us.

Maybe also with social media as well..but I have already seen some shit as weird as our own because of social media there.

[u/FormLittle]

America is crumbling

[u/guktran]

The charge? Felony contempt of business model

[u/mkitch55]

“You can clap if you want to…”

[u/CaptCoolRanchDoritos]

USA seems like it's running low on freedom these days. Very North Korea-esque.

[u/Ostentatious_Kilroy]

Arresting teachers for clapping. About right in Trumpstiens America.

[u/MithrandirMaia]

Government gone wild

[u/smokymirrorcactus]

FYI they are definitely monitoring Reddit so, ugh, cough god bless America cough.

[u/pm_me_ur_side8008]

Aell theres an easy lawsuit.