Ben and Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested Saturday in downtown Burlington for violating the city's noise ordinances while holding a "public demonstration" about F-35 fighter planes, police said.
Activists opposed to the impending basing of the Air Force F-35s in Burlington played jet noise from speakers mounted on the back of a pickup truck at a decible level they said simulated what it would be like to be underneath the flight path of the planes
Cohen was one of three people arrested for disorderly conduct shortly after 3 p.m., said Lt. Matthew Sullivan. Cohen was escorted from a downtown intersection in handcuffs.
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 will be issued citations to appear in court and released Saturday afternoon, Sullivan said.
Police told the activists earlier in the day that they were violating the ordinance and would be getting tickets, Cohen said at around noon after playing the noise for six minutes, adding that people had complained about the disruption.
"Of course, that's exactly the point," Cohen said.
Burlington voters will get a chance Tuesday to weigh in on whether city officials should oppose the basing, which is scheduled for 2019.
Last month, Maj. Gen. Steven Cray, adjutant general of the Vermont Air National Guard, said millions of dollars have been invested in preparing for the F-35s and guardmembers were deployed around the country training on the plane.
Follow Jess Aloe on Twitter: @jess_aloe
