MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A New York college student says he was wrongfully arrested while protesting on a Long Island Expressway overpass.
Daniel Martins of Mineola was arrested June 6 while standing with protest signs and flags on a bridge over the busy highway.
He has pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal nuisance charges.
Martins is a 21-year-old senior at Hofstra University. He says he was expressing his free speech rights in urging President Barack Obama’s impeachment.
The Department of Transportation says only municipalities are permitted to grant permission to post signs on state highways.
In recent years, signs welcoming home war veterans have become a common sight on some highway overpasses.
Prosecutors say that while political protest is a right, people are not entitled to create a public safety hazard.
