A protester dressed in an inflatable penis costume arrested Saturday during a “No Kings” demonstration has ignited debate over First Amendment protections in a city already engulfed in a contentious battle over library book censorship.
Jeana Renea Gamble, 61, was arrested after what cellphone videos show as a swift and aggressive police response. The arrest took place in downtown Fairhope, where Gamble was participating in a political protest while wearing the costume.
Her arrest has drawn attention not only for its dramatic visuals but also for the broader implications it raises around free speech, especially as Fairhope continues to be the center of a heated dispute over what is obscenity in its public library.
Defending arrest
Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan and City Council Presi