Naked protesters arrested in Orono Two women oppose new police authority

Two naked women took their protest of federal legislation giving police more authority to the streets last week and subsequently were arrested.

Orono police Officer Josh Ewing was watching traffic on Main Street about 11:45 p.m. Nov. 2 when he heard, then saw, something that caught his attention. Sounds of yelling were coming from the municipal parking lot on Pine Street where Ewing saw two women running on the sidewalk. Neither was wearing clothing.

Ewing, in his cruiser, caught up with them by the intersection of Main and Mill streets and asked them what they thought they were doing. They were expressing themselves, one of the two said. She explained that they were concerned that the recent expansion of police powers to counter terrorism would be abused.

Ewing had them sit in his cruiser and told them that what they had done was against the law and that their actions may have insulted or offended other people in the community.

About this time, the Penobscot Regional Communications Center reported that there had been a sighting of other nude women in the area. Two officers went to investigate, but didn’t find the others.

The women, 20-year-old Debra Ballou and 21-year-old Kathryn Mann, both of Orono, were taken home, allowed to put on clothing and were then arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail on a charge of indecent conduct.

Old Town police arrested 29-year-old Daniel Rosebush recently after he was removed from a bar for causing a disturbance and tried to continue the disturbance outside.

The owner of Number Ten North Main told police that Rosebush had been trying to pick a fight inside the bar and was forced to the floor and then escorted outside. The bar owner told Sgt. Michael Hashey that they waited for a while before letting the target of Rosebush’s anger leave.

Rosebush was waiting for him outside and rushed him, according to the police report.

The police were called and when Officer Chris Hashey arrived, he saw Rosebush yelling and aggressively approaching someone getting into a cab.

Rosebush was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and Hashey reported that in searches before and at the Penobscot County Jail, authorities found a marijuana pipe and some marijuana on Rosebush. He faces charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a usable amount of marijuana.

– Compiled by NEWS reporter Doug Kesseli