A man was arrested yesterday at an informational meeting about a proposed data center in Claremore, Oklahoma, after he spoke for longer than the allotted time given to public commentators.

In a speech midway through the meeting, local resident Darren Blanchard expressed opposition to a project put forth by data center developer Beale Infrastructure, calling out what he perceived to be procedural and compliance issues.

Dubbed Project Mustang, the data center would consist of two data center buildings and a substation located in the Claremore Industrial Park, according to a site layout shared at the meeting.

But as Blanchard reached the three-minute limit imposed on all those who wished to comment publicly, he said he was “reclaiming [his] time” because other attendees, in a show of support, had clapped and cheered loudly during his speech, forcing him to pause briefly.

Blanchard continued to speak for approximately 30 seconds, after which he was met with another round of applause and cheers of “freedom of speech” and “let him speak”.

But it was at this point that law enforcement handcuffed and escorted Blanchard out of the venue, which was met with jeers and boos.

“In order to get through this, it’s gonna help if each person can talk… without the clapping. That way, you can have your three minutes without being interrupted,” said Mayor of Claremore Debbie Long after Blanchard’s arrest.

Blanchard was charged with trespassing by local authorities, according to a news report by News On 6.

Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County in northeastern Oklahoma, around 30 miles northeast of Tulsa. Mustang is one of several projects Beale has around Tulsa.

It is common for opponents of data center projects to make themselves heard during the public comment sections of local council meetings. Dozens often sign up to speak, substantially extending the duration of a meeting.

In this case, there were more than twenty registered individuals who spoke in the meeting, which lasted three hours from 6pm to approximately 9pm.

To shorten meetings, local authorities like Claremore’s can call on law enforcement to limit speakers who exceed their allotted time.

In December 2025, three anti-data center advocates in Port Washington, Wisconsin, were arrested by local law enforcement after authorities claimed they had disrupted the meeting.

But such methods can worsen attitudes toward a data center project, as evidenced by the kinds of posts being made in anti-data center groups like ‘Oklahoma Data Center Accountability’ and ‘Say NO to Coweta, Ok Data Center.’

Claremore’s Mayor Debbie Long also added that she’d “been to other meetings where people got rowdy and that’s not what this is about,” alluding to other instances where residents’ anger towards local authorities and data center developers spilled over into the realm of law enforcement.

In January, a man in Troy, Illinois, was arrested after he threatened to use a firearm to kill City of Troy officials or contractors who were involved with a data center proposal put forth by Cloverleaf Infrastructure.

The man also made a false report to the police, claiming that a firearm-related offense would be committed despite knowing that there was “no reasonable ground” that this would occur.

Last December, a councilor in New Carlisle, Indiana, claimed that her family had been ‘swatted’ whilst she was attending a meeting about a data center that eventually failed to get planning permission.