Boner From 'Growing Pains' Arrested for Protesting Beijing Olympics

At the annual New Year's Day Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, some guy stepped in front of a float holding a sign and was promptly arrested. Not too newsworthy, right?

Except for the fact that the float was in celebration of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. And the guy was Andrew Koenig ... better known as Richard "Boner" Stabone on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains.

Immediately following his arrest and nearly 10-hour detention by Pasadena police on New Year's Day, actor and filmmaker Andrew Koenig told this newspaper his decision to step out in front of a controversial Rose Parade float was, if not the easiest way to express his views, the absolute right thing to do. "I broke a law, but I didn't commit a crime," said Koenig, regarding the few seconds he had spent holding up a political sign before being hustled away by police.

Boner is an activist for victims of military force in Burma, which is ruled by a dictatorship that is funded by China. Boner was holding a sign that simply read "China: Free Burma". He has since been charged with "walking between parade entries" which holds no jail time and a maximum $100 fine.

Of course, Boner's lawyer is quite bent about his client being detained for so long (he was initially charged with interfering with a special event ... a misdemeanor) for such a small crime. Boner peacefully protested -- didn't harm anyone -- and was the only protester who was arrested along the parade route.

The basic stink is that the city was embarrassed by having someone do this ... and they have a lot of small little rules to try to keep this from happening. Boner broke one of those rules, so they tried to punish him.

Pasadena is a sister city with the Beijing district of Xicheng and there was a long of debate before the parade whether to allow the float.

No word if Skippy from Family Ties, Paul from the Wonder Years or Kimmy Gibbler from Full House were in on this, too.

Sorry, No Photos

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-06-2008 @ 5:52PM

Bababooey said...

it should be noted that his father is Mr. Chekhov from Star Trek.

3-07-2008 @ 11:53PM

Tracy said...

This isn't news. PLEEZE tell me that no one thinks this is newsworthy. Did you HAVE to tell us it was "Boner" from Growing Pains that did this? Just adds insult to injury

3-08-2008 @ 12:04AM

Sarah said...

i just wikipedia growing pains IT DID NO MENTION
A CHARACTER BONER --WHAT KIND AND WHAT REATION DID HE VE WITH DR. SEAVER FAMILY ?

3-08-2008 @ 12:19AM

Pam said...

Sarah, Boner was Mike Seaver's best friend.

3-08-2008 @ 12:43AM

joyce kennedy said...

ok... you idiot, i dont care its a actor from and old t.v. show BUT IT ALEAST HE HAS GUTS !!! I AGREE why in the hell should america go to china for these games, we are hypocrites, we dont want to talk to cuba.. but we not only talk about china, but trade, sell our companies there, without a blink of an eye. i think we should not go there. they kill thier own people if they say anthing against thier government, and we have known it for years. all are companies , are going to china, i know its also going to other countries,but they are communist, they brain wash thier own people, we should be ashamed of are selves. but no, it boils down to the might dollar, greed, power. so there, like it or not what i have said, wake up mr. president, who likes to dance, what a clown we have holding our nation at bay.......

3-08-2008 @ 1:47AM

T. Dunn said...

Let's see now, Bill Clinton bombed Yugoslavia for "human rights violations" while working to get China into the WTO. Every President since Kennedy has kissed Cina's behind. We should have started bombing there and worked our way to Yugoslavia may years later. Maybe, by then, Milosevic would have killed the Muslims that were repsonsible for 911. Oh yes, these alleged "human rights violations" were against those "peaceful Muslims", you know the same ones who assasinated Ghandi.

3-08-2008 @ 4:03AM

mary said...

Bush borrows money from China to pay for oil from
the Saudi's. DISGUSTING

3-08-2008 @ 5:36AM

Ray said...

Now you understand why someone with the nickname of "boner" is a former tv actor - the word star can't apply in this case.

3-08-2008 @ 6:05AM

Al Schrader said...

I was on the US Olympic Team in 2005 and 2006.
I have had to drop out because of disc problems
which have not improved to the point that I can start training again.
My goal was to win the gold.
I'm still a major Celebrity in China.
The Chinese have already spent several billion dollars on the Olympic facilities, which I will mention are quite spectacular.
You can email me anytime.

Alfred Schrader
Previous member, US Olympic Weightlifting Team
alfredschrader@aol.com