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A protest held on the boardwalk this weekend resulted in one man’s arrest after he allegedly exposed himself while taking his pants off to reveal a green thong-like garment, police say.

Steve Ettinger, 35, of Ballston, N.Y., “was exposed during the process of dropping his pants,” Asbury Park Police Chief Mark Kinmon said. A police officer arrested Ettinger and charged him with disorderly conduct and lewdness.

Ettinger was at a rally being held by Adam Kokesh, an anti-war activist and protestor. Kokesh and about 25 others held an event to protest the ordinance prohibiting beach attire on the boardwalk, Kinmon said, although the ordinance will likely be repealed  at the next council meeting and has not been enforced in recent memory.

A video of the protest and Ettinger’s arrest can be found on Kokesh’s YouTube account.

“We’re not looking to interfere with anybody’s rights,” Kinmon said. “People have opinions and they’re absolutely free to voice their opinions and protest and assemble … But there are certain things that are in place and you can’t just show up and do whatever you want.”

For example, protest groups are not allowed to block public passages, the chief said. The city also prohibits them from using amplifiers through its street performers ordinance, although Kokesh and his group were not cited for using microphones and speakers on Saturday.

“We let it continue, but it was more or less over shortly after the arrest,” Kinmon said.

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