Topless protesters 'angry at men taking photos'

Organisers of a march to promote equal opportunity public toplessness have been angered by the number of men taking photos of the women.

About two dozen women drew a crowd of onlookers over the weekend when they shed their shirts and marched downtown in Maine's largest city.

Organiser Ty MacDowell said the point of the march in Portland was that a topless woman out in public should not attract any more attention than a man who walks around without a shirt.

The Portland Press Herald reports that by the end of the march, more than 500 people had amassed.

There was a mix of marchers, young men snapping photos and people just out enjoying a sunny, warm day.

It is not illegal for a woman to be topless in public in Maine and police said there were no incidents or arrests.

MacDowell said she was surprised by the turnout of people who seemed to only be interested in topless women.

"I'm amazed," she told the Portland Press Herald.

"[I'm] enraged at the fact that there's a wall of men watching."

She was particularly upset that people were taking photos of the march.

"A lot of people were taking pictures without even asking," she said.

"Even if you're somewhere where people are fully clothed, you should ask."