Man Protests TSA Harassment in Airport by Taking Off ALL of His Clothes

Posted by Kevin Farrell on Apr 19, 2012 in The Critic | 18 comments

John Brennan is mad as hell and he’s not going to take this anymore! Also, these pretzels are making him thirsty!

John Brennan says he did not go to the Portland International Airport intending to get naked.

However after feeling harassed by Transportation Security Administration screeners on Tuesday, the 50-year-old man stripped all his clothes off in a protest that got him even more attention from airport screeners, national headlines and a stint in jail.

“I just took off my clothes and said ‘See, I don’t have any explosives,’” Brennan said. “The individuals at TSA are just doing their job and the whole organization needs to find a balance between safety and privacy. They use fear and intimidation and it’s got to stop somewhere.”

The TSA had a different take on the incident.

Oh, I bet they did.

Acts of protest like Brennan’s here, or the student with the rocking body arrested for stripping in front of airport security to reveal the Fourth Amendment scrawled across his toned and tanned chest, reveal what so many of us are experiencing – the increasingly hostile TSA experience, not the stripping.

It’s a bummer that Brennan was forced to endure a stint in jail for his act of civil disobedience, but isn’t it also a bummer that total strangers get to peek at your naked body on a screen in the name of security? Props to Brennan for keeping this ridiculous new part of the American experience in the news.

What do you think of Brennan’s naked protest?

http://twitter.com/MychylK Mychyl Kime

Honestly? I think this is taking the situation too far.

I don’t blame this man for being put in the situation… but there’s better ways to handle it than by exposing yourself to an entire airport, children and all. Seriously.
Sommer Gentry

John Brennan is a true American hero. We all need to find ways to fight the TSA’s disgusting campaign of sexual abuse and harassment waged against innocent travelers. Go, John, go!
http://www.facebook.com/bj.lincoln Bj Lincoln

I would have stopped at my bra and undies to make a point. Good for him.
http://www.facebook.com/TylerKernan Tyler Kernan

Seriously though? This isn’t a protest, this is making a fool of yourself. I travel by air once every two weeks or so and have gone through this process a bunch of times. If it takes a guy accidentally brushing against my junk while he is searching for bombs and weapons, than so be it. Anything to prevent another 9/11. Yes, there are some TSA agents who take it way too far and do things they should absolutely not do. But sometimes, I think people are just looking for something to complain about. We have rights, yes, but I can swallow my pride for 2 minutes and give up my right to not be searched if it allows me to continue my right to not get blown up.

http://twitter.com/AaronEndre Aaron Endré

“They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security” — Benjamin Franklin

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=853214878 Raymond Weaver

I’m for it. I also think that those who do the examing have to be as naked as the people they exam.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ignacio-Gomez/517755501 Ignacio Gomez

He had every right to do this!!! Freedom of expression. (if we even have rights anymore) as for TSA, It’s hard to find a balance because there’s so much that goes into it. For example, If there’s an attack on a plane people blame TSA “WHY DIDN’T YOU SCREEN HARDER, WHY IS THERE NO HARSHER SECURITY” blah blah blah, then if they do screen hardcore, “IT’S AN INVASION OF PRIVACY!!” There really is no common ground with people, damned if you do, damned if you dont. So they take the higher road and overscreen. Hey, at least you’re being protected. && They found traces of nitrate (an explosive substance) on him. I doubt they would’ve given him such grief had they not found that!!!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1676713355 Charlie Clark

nitrate is also a substance found in many bloodpressure and heart meds. I know because my daughter takes them. I went to the airport with her and her meds in tow and they didn’t say a word about it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1362174498 Lillitu Shahar Kunning

The comments about children bewilder me (and yes, I am a mom). Nudity is not shameful or sexual. This protest was perfectly appropriate in the face of ever-eroding civil liberties.

Anonymous

I agree with you about nudity not being shameful or sexual, its really so sad how here in the US we treat the naked body as if its something to be ashamed of. In Spain they show breast augmentation commercials on tv, nipple and all. Like I said in another post , People act as if these things don’t exist. Sex exist, prostitution exist, and if its an adult that wants to sell their body I don’t care. The naked body exist, whats so hush hush about the penis or vagina ?

Really I didn’t know a man had a penis. What what what women have breast? and some men ; )

More screening not seeing the naked body is what would catch a would-be. Facial study, voice analyzation, your story for traveling, who your going to see, or why, where are you coming from, when are you going home, etc more questions. If asked a lot of questions and studied , then all these invasive searchers may not be necessary… Its a fact that most people do certain things when they are up to no good.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Rob-Caudill/1014897503 Rob Caudill

Bravo Mr. Brennan!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Charles-Stearns/100001316360952 Charles Stearns

The TSA is security theatre, and has as much to do with catching terrorists as my dog barking at joggers has to do with home security.
http://www.facebook.com/joseph.weems Joseph Weems

What I find most disturbing about this is that people claim they will give up what ever they need to feel safe. No one will blow up the plain I am on. There is no threat of all the planes in the sky being blown out of the sky. We have bought the fear hook, line and sinker. I refuse to fly any more than I have to because of the fear mongering.
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-M-Griffin/1108961603 David M Griffin

If a plane blew up or was hijacked and you were on it I think you would feel differently. Be happy you arrive safely!! Grow up!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Webster/1553643538 Jeff Webster

To hell with the TSA, i could care less and i think it is going way beyond civil right. TSA are just perverts. Body scanners and that kind of crap need to be removed from airports, This is getting out of hand and 90 % of terrorist crap is over seas not here!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Webster/1553643538 Jeff Webster

And for the guy who stripped good for him! think i”ll do the same thing next time and he should not have went to jail. The perverts in tsa need to be arrested for making you go threw the immoral, body scanner…..
http://www.facebook.com/people/Raymond-Davis/1135164147 Raymond Davis

I sincerely hope the next plane that gets blown up is carrying the loved ones of all these whining bitches who seem to think there’s somebody out there desperate to see their funky musty wrinkled junk and that this is the REAL reason for TSA!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Candy-Güliy/1442455324 Candy Güliy

I could definitely see myself doing this. Yup. I have no shame in my body to hide it when someone is questioning me about what I have on my person. The TSA does have to draw a line at some point, I completely agree and am now planning on doing this if they get touchy feely with me again the next time I go to the airport.

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