Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Arrested Over F-35 Jet Blast Simulation

https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/be...-si-1823516200

Ben Cohen, the “Ben” part of Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested on Saturday after he
and two other activists drove a truck through downtown Burlington, Vermont,
blasting jet noises in protest of a plan to host 18 F-35s at Burlington
International Airport. According to NBC5, they blasted the simulated jet noises
13 times before Cohen was put in handcuffs.

The F-35 is a troubled program, with a long history of cost overruns and delays,
though President Trump likes it. In Vermont, the plan to base the F-35s at the
airport has been controversial with many residents, over noise and other
considerations. Cohen is among the disgruntled residents, and had no regrets
about Saturday’s protest, which took place ahead of a ballot measure on Tuesday
that asks Burlington residents whether their city council should request that
the F-35s be put elsewhere.

https://youtu.be/wXJiojgucRU

The Burlington Free Press explains that police gave Cohen and the protesters a
few chances before breaking out the cuffs.

Burlington’s noise ordinances say that tickets should be issued for the first
two violations and allow for an arrest on the third. Sullivan said police were
able to obtain witness statements about the first two incidents and witnessed
the third personally.

The three activists would be issued citations to appear in court and released
this afternoon, [Lt. Matthew Sullivan] said.

The F-35s are currently slated to arrive some time next year, and the Vermont
Air National Guard says they have no plans to change that, having already
invested some $83 million in preparation for the planes’ arrival.

Cohen said Saturday that the people complaining about his jet noise simulation
was, in fact, the intended outcome.

“Of course, that’s exactly the point,” he said.




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