"Do you think it was inevitable that eventually one would have provoked such a response?"
I've seen one forgotten backpack produce a similar repsonse. Moreover these guys were filming as they placed these signs in plain view around Boston streets the night before. One might expect atleast one LEO to see them in action to ask them what they were doing?
Now, I just saw a report on foxnews that Boston is claiming it cost the city 750k to get them removed. The installers should be asking the cartoon network for a pay raise since they probably placed them for a few measely bucks.
Moreover these guys were filming as they placed these signs in plain view around Boston streets the night before.
More like ten days before.