Town That Arrested Heckler Moves Data Center Meetings Online
Source: 404 Media
A Virginia municipality virtualized public comment on a contentious hyperscale data center project after arresting a resident for applause. The shift to digital-only meetings eliminates spontaneous, embodied forms of resistance—applause, visible presence—that make opposition legible and harder to dismiss, while preserving the appearance of transparency. Local governments facing infrastructure fights are likely to adopt similar procedural moves, using "public safety" to manage political visibility rather than engage dissent.