If you believe John Brennan, his display of nudity at the Portland International Airport was a protest of his right to free speech. The Transportation Safety Administration, however, does not quite see it the same way.
Brennan's problems started when he refused to go through a body-scanner at the airport on April 17th of last year. The TSA allows for this as an option, and soon an attendant came to pat him down and test for nitrates on the gloves, which are an indicator of contact with explosive materials.
Those tests that were administered to Brennan came back as positive for the nitrates, and that is when the situation quickly devolved. The TSA agent called for others to come over to assess the situation as per standard protocol. Brennan, however, had become agitated over the whole process and decided to take matters into his own hands.
Brennan proceeded to strip naked to prove to the agents that he was not carrying any bombs or other weaponry on his body. It was at that time that fellow travelers started taking pictures of Brennan and his antics went viral. It took police officers five minutes to come take him away and restore order.
"I totally support airport screening," Brennan told OregonLive.com. "I just don't want it to be at the expense of my constitutional rights."Initially, Multnomah County prosecutors charged Brennan with violating an ordinance that forbids public nudity if it is in view of the opposite sex. That ruling was overturned, however, after Judge David Rees cited a ruling that found that public nudity laws do not apply in cases of protest.
Brennan thought that Rees's appeal would have been the end of his problems, but that is not the case. The TSA is now trying to fine him $1000 for breaking a rule that states that passengers may not interfere with a TSA agent's ability to carry out their duties, something they claim Brennan did. In the upcoming case, it has been reported that Brennan will not be able to use the claim of free speech in his defense.
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