BOSTON (AP) -- At least nine electronic devices, planted at bridges and other parts of Boston as part of a marketing campaign for a late-night cartoon, threw a scare into the city Wednesday.
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.
Turner Broadcasting, parent company of Cartoon Network, said the devices, which consisted of blinking lights, were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."
"The packages in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger," Turner said in a statement.
The company said the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, San Francisco and Philadelphia.
"We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," the statement said.
An angry Mayor Thomas Menino said a stiff penalty will be pursued against whoever was responsible for the devices.
"It's about keeping a city on edge. It's about public safety," he said.
Units were dispatched to Sullivan Square, the Boston University Bridge, Longfellow Bridge, Stuart and Columbus Streets, the New England Medical Center, Harvard Avenue in Brighton, Washington and Water Streets, the McCarthy overpass in Somerville, and Memorial Drive at Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge.
The Coast Guard closed the Charles River to all boat traffic from the mouth of the Boston Harbor to the Museum of Science while the bridges were inspected.
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