BOSTON (AP) – More than 10 blinking electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most if not all of the devices depict a character giving the finger.
Boston police said Wednesday night that one person had been arrested, and authorities scheduled a news conference to provide details.
Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.
“It’s a hoax – and it’s not funny,” said Gov. Deval Patrick, who said he’ll speak to the state’s attorney general “about what recourse we may have.”
Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. (TWX) and parent of Cartoon Network, said the
devices were part of a promotion for the TV show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.
“The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger,” Turner said in a statement, issued a few hours after reports of the first devices came in.
It said the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia.
ASSOCIATED PRESS: A Once Mighty Nation Afraid Of Its Own Shadow
[Artwork By Nate Williams]
UPDATE: Suspects Arrested, Refuse To Take This Charade Seriously
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