"Bicycle printer" inventor and activist Joshua Kinberg arrested Saturday in NY during the RNC

Joshua Kinberg of Bikes Against Bush fame (previously posted about on mmeiser blog) was arrested for defacement of property over the weekend in New York while demonstrating his bicycle for a news interview. His bicycle, cell phone, computer and other equipment were confiscated and are being held until his trial. Ironically he had just used his invention to print "America is a free-speech zone" in water soluble chalk on the sidewalk as a demonstration for MSNBC reporter Ron Regan.

About the question of defacement of property:

Bikes Against Bush will utilize a water-soluble chalk mixture. It is the same material used for marking athletic fields. It is environmentally safe and removes easily with water, or naturally biodegrades within 15-30 days. Thus, while the messages may have the appearance of graffiti, this is certainly not an attempt to damage or deface property.
from Bikes Against Bush — FAQ

Always check your legal facts and document them before hand, that way when the NYPD arrest you on fraudulent charges in order to sensor you you'll have a great case. It is highly unlikely that Joshua Kinberg will get his equipment back until after the convention. I will definitely be following this closely and will be making further posts when I find out more about his legal representation. He seems like a very smart guy, I hope that in addition to getting legal advice on his invention, that he also had retained legal counsel prior to participation and demonstration at the RNC.

What most ticks me off about this whole thing is that his form of protest was unique and healthy. When the NYPD silences healthy, non-violent protest such as this they in fact fuel the flames of deviant protesters and encourage people to use more extreme and covert means in order to be heard. I'm very disappointed.

NYC IMC: Activist bike creator Joshua Kinberg arrested 8/28/2004

Download a video of the incident via bittorrent and DV Guide.