[UPDATE 5:47 p.m.: HCSO Provides More Information] Digital Disguise: Mysterious LED Truck Incident on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus Yesterday

Yesterday, around 9:45 a.m., a bizarre incident occurred at Cal Poly Humboldt. The incident, which occurred on a campus already tense due to ongoing protests, involved a mobile LED billboard truck showcasing images of three white hooded figures, reminiscent of Ku Klux Klan members. This display lasted for approximately 30 seconds before the screen turned off and its driver took the truck from the scene, according to an anonymous witness.

The witness described the incident, saying that the digital display also included a masked figure with a turban [the figure on the right on the digital billboard shown in the top photo.] “I witnessed this vehicle with a digital screen and, on the screen, it displayed members of the KKK and as we were standing there watching this vehicle, the screen turned off on the truck and it turned completely black and drove away,” the witness recounted.

The quick disappearance of the imagery and the truck’s ability to revert to a nondescript matte black finish made the vehicle almost unnoticeable as an advertising truck once the display was turned off. Several tipsters told us that the vehicle sometimes would show only a simple logo like a company truck might on its screens so it could pass as a different vehicle.

Law enforcement responded and the driver, who we were told was a Russian national, was arrested. At 10:20 a.m., the Humboldt County Correctional facility booking log shows a Sergey Vladimirovich Polishchuk was booked on a single charge, PC602(m), trespassing, which many of the protesters arrested Tuesday morning were also charged with, as the campus was closed due to the protests.

Polishchuk was released after posting bail a little after 2 p.m. yesterday.

According to SpotSense, these trucks are equipped with high-resolution LED screens capable of showing vivid static images or videos which can be controlled remotely, which allows for real-time updates and changes to the displayed content​​.

However, this technology also poses unique concerns, particularly around the content displayed and the potential for misuse. Cities like Los Angeles have specific regulations in place to manage the operation of mobile billboard advertising, according to American Legal Publishing​.

This is not the first time a mobile display truck has been linked to campus controversies related to the Israel/Hamas conflict. On March 26, a similar vehicle appeared on the grounds of the University of Virginia with one of the changing displays showing the words, “Rector Robert Hardie won’t confront antisemitism” and calling for him to resign from his position on the Board. Hardie is accused of being unsympathetic to concerns about an alleged spike in Jewish students targeted for attacks as conflict between students supporting different sides of the conflict escalates “as hundreds have participated in marches, rallies, “teach-ins” and vigils for those on both sides of the war,” according to the Charlottesville Daily Progress.

We have reached out to law enforcement and requested more information. We’ll update when possible.

UPDATE 5:47 p.m.: Humboldt County Sgt. Eric Losey reached out this afternoon and explained that some of the questions we have, he couldn’t answer because University police were in charge of that part of the investigation. However, he was able to say that he had observed the truck on Tuesday, the day before the arrest took place though he did not see any image displayed. (Another anonymous witness reported seeing the truck during the time the protest was ongoing.) He told us that when deputies stopped the truck, “it appeared that the computer was being actively deleted.”

He said that Sheriff’s deputies “didn’t get access the back of the truck” and couldn’t speak to whether UPD received access. He told us that law enforcement was not able to establish any connection between the driver and the University–there was no obvious reason for the man to be on campus that he knew of.

When asked if the driver had free speech right to display images of any kind, Losey said that State law does not protect images that could incite violence or crime.

Losey was not able to confirm at this time whether the driver was a Russian national, a citizen of another country, or a citizen of the US