Carlyle

The MBTA reports Transit Police arrested two alleged gropers last night, one for an incident at Copley station around 10 p.m., the other for an incident this past June in Quincy.

On the Green Line, MBTA Transit Police arrested William Carlyle, 52, of Northampton Street in Boston on a charge of indecent assault and battery after he allegedly put his hands where he shouldn't have on the rear of a Revere woman:

A group of seven current and former employees of the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel today filed a federal civil-right suit alleging several years of harassment because of their religion and Moroccan background.

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Local 718 tweets the gas leaked out of a chiller in the hotel basement and spread through the hotel's air-conditioning system, shortly before 2 p.m.

Freon is non-toxic, but can cause problems if breathed in in large quantities.

Ed. note: Local 718's feed makes three Twitter feeds related to Boston fire happenings - there's also the official department feed and the feed run by a Boston firefighter.

The Boston Public Library has posted photos of its collection of old Boston matchbook covers, including this one from the landmark hotel. What other things did the hotel used to offer guests?

Posted under this Creative Commons license.

Scooterdude, the guy you see sailing around Copley Square with his plastic sail, was out yesterday enjoying a ride (yes, in the rain), when a family got out of a car and walked to the center of the park with a flag and then stood there:

... I approached them and asked about the flag and their purpose.

They explained that it was the flag of Iran and that they were there to continue a witness to the ordeal the Iranian people are currently suffering in their homeland.

I couldn't help but admire their solitary witness, their commitment and resolution that, despite this dismal day of wind and wetness, they came out to stand for their people and for the democratic principles that all of us share. ...

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A curious onlooker e-mailed around 4:45 p.m.:

Some VIP was just visiting the Citizen's Bank on Boylston Street at Dartmouth. With a police escort of several cars and motorcycles, and wired Secret Service guys in a couple of Chevy Tahoes. A big crowd was watching for at least 20 minutes, and no one had any idea who it was, although rumors of everyone from Ben Affleck to General Petraeus were flying. Customers were going in and out of the bank and even they couldn't tell what was going on.

As the new Arlington station opens on its first weekday, the Green Line is all bollixed up due to some sort of signal problem at Copley AND a broken train at Government Center. The riders are restless; something about spending 20 or 25 minutes sitting in a tunnel will do that to you - especially if it all adds up to a 50-minute ride from Kenmore to Copley - or a 40 minute ride between St. Mary's and Kenmore with "no air conditioning, no seat, no explanation." The lucky ones brought reading material.

Jen Stewart sought refuge as she watched some 400 zombies march through Copley Square today.

Iceburns captures the lions inside the old wing of the BPL main branch in Copley Square.

Copyright Iceburns.

The outbound Green Line experienced delays this morning past Copley thanks to a guy who managed to sit on the knife he was carrying in his pocket, the Globe reports.