Man strips at Oregon airport to protest security measures

John Brennan is shown in this Multnomah County Sheriff's Office booking photo released to Reuters April 18, 2012. The 49-year-old Oregon man became so fed up that he stripped naked at a Portland International airport security checkpoint in what he said was a protest of the screening process.

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - A 49-year-old Oregon man became so fed up with airport screening that he stripped naked at Portland International Airport security checkpoint, police said.

Some passengers covered their own eyes, as well as their children's, during the Tuesday evening incident, a Port of Portland Police report said, while others "stepped out of the screening lanes to look, laugh and take photos."

Officials asked John Brennan numerous times to put his clothes back on, but "Mr. Brennan refused to dress" and was taken into custody, according to the police report.

"When interviewed about his actions, Mr. Brennan stated he flies a lot and had disrobed as a form of protest against (Transportation Security Administration) screeners who he felt were harassing him," the report said.

He was jailed on suspicion of disorderly conduct and indecent exposure and later released. Neither alcohol nor drugs was involved in the incident, the report said.

Brennan missed his Alaska Airlines flight to San Jose, California.

(Reporting and writing by Teresa Carson; Editing by Steve Gorman and Doina Chiacu)