{"id":4864,"date":"2026-04-22T21:22:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=4864"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:22:55","slug":"the-short-ridiculous-trial-of-a-protestor-arrested-in-an-inflatable-penis-costume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=4864","title":{"rendered":"The Short, Ridiculous Trial of a Protestor Arrested in an Inflatable Penis Costume"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

The trial of<\/span> Renea Gamble had been underway for almost two hours when Marcus McDowell, the city attorney of Fairhope, Alabama, called a surprise witness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI call the gentleman in the red shirt,\u201d he said, pointing toward a long-haired man in the second row. It took a moment to realize that he was referring to Gamble\u2019s husband, 63-year-old Larry Fletcher.<\/p>\n

Gamble\u2019s defense attorney objected. He\u2019d received no advance notice. But Fletcher shrugged and made his way forward.<\/p>\n

Fletcher was with his wife when she was arrested at a No Kings protest<\/a> in October 2025. She was wearing a 7-foot-tall inflatable penis costume and holding a sign that read \u201cNo Dick Tator.\u201d Video of the incident went viral, turning Gamble into a minor celebrity<\/a> and local free speech icon. Most people assumed the city would eventually drop the misdemeanor charges filed against her. Instead, McDowell added more, including giving a false name to law enforcement for identifying herself as \u201cAunt Tifa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fletcher wore black Levi\u2019s and a collared shirt with a Ferrari logo \u2013 a nod to his work rebuilding fuel injection systems for high-end cars. Sitting in the front row, Gamble looked a bit stricken watching the man she\u2019d known since her childhood in Baton Rouge. \u201cI know what she was thinking,\u201d Fletcher later said. \u201cShe\u2019s like, \u2018Oh man, this could go out of control real<\/em> easy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

McDowell asked Fletcher if he\u2019d gone to bail his wife out of jail after her arrest. Yes, Fletcher said.<\/p>\n

Did he make any statements to any of the jailers? Fletcher wasn\u2019t sure. McDowell motioned toward one of the many law enforcement officers standing on the side of the room and asked if he looked familiar. Fletcher said he\u2019d seen him around.<\/p>\n

McDowell cut to the chase: Did Fletcher remember telling this man that he had gone to get bail money the day before the protest?<\/p>\n

His objective was suddenly clear: The city attorney was suggesting that Gamble had gotten arrested on purpose.<\/p>\n

If this was meant as a gotcha, things didn\u2019t go as intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always make sure I have bail money!\u201d Fletcher replied emphatically, as if this should be the most obvious thing in the world.<\/p>\n

Did he have bail money on him now?<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Fletcher exclaimed, then gestured broadly. \u201cWith this many cops around? Come on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room erupted with laughter. Moments later, Fletcher was back in his seat. Gamble reached back and held his hand.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u201cIf we don\u2019t have free speech, what do we have?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

The trial took place at the Fairhope Civic Center, home to the city council chamber and \u2014 on the first and third Wednesday of every month \u2014 municipal court. Outside the building, dozens of people gathered to support Gamble, while a small army of cops stood watch from inside. One woman wore a huge purple eggplant costume. Another held a sign featuring a banana and the words \u201cFree speech shouldn\u2019t be hard to swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gamble, 62, had arrived wearing pearls, a soft pink cable-knit sweater, and a matching tulle skirt adorned with delicate butterflies. Her face was concealed behind sunglasses and a white KN95 mask. After a smattering of chants of \u201cFree speech!,\u201d Gamble spoke briefly before going inside. \u201cI\u2019m not on trial,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s on trial is the First Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was abuse, too!\u201d one woman yelled. \u201cThey abused you. We saw it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, for all the slapstick comedy of the scene \u2014 body camera footage showed three different cops wrestling with a giant penis \u2014 her arrest was also shocking. Gamble was turning to walk away when the arresting officer grabbed her costume from behind, pulling her backward onto the ground. While officers tried to stuff her into their car, causing the handcuffs to dig into her wrists, she screamed in pain.<\/p>\n

But Gamble said she wasn\u2019t speaking as a victim. \u201cI\u2019m standing on the foundation of our democracy. If we don\u2019t have free speech, what do we have?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fairhope is a<\/span> picturesque town on Alabama\u2019s Gulf Coast, 20 miles from Mobile. Its entrance is lined with live oaks and a procession of American flags, while its historic downtown is brimming with galleries and upscale boutiques. Around the corner from a Christmas store, clapboard signs advertised espresso martinis and peanut butter pie.<\/p>\n

Fairhope has long been a top destination for retirees from across the country, with its rapid growth an enduring source of anxiety. Although the No Kings rally was organized by Indivisible Baldwin County, whose founder was born and raised in the area, local critics adopted a familiar line: The protesters were outside agitators. Never mind that Fairhope itself was originally founded by outsiders as a \u201csingle-tax\u201d utopia, \u201cbuilt by and for artists, writers and other ne\u2019er do-wells,\u201d in the words<\/a> of local political cartoonist JD Crowe, who attended Gamble\u2019s trial with his sketchpad. Today, some describe Fairhope as \u201cCalifornia with a Southern accent\u201d \u2014 a compliment or an insult, depending on who you ask.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n A supporter of Renea Gamble dressed as an eggplant at the Fairhope Civic Center in Fairhope, Ala., on April 15, 2026.<\/span>\u00a0Photo: Liliana Segura\/The Intercept<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Gamble\u2019s case struck a nerve in part because of an ongoing free speech battle<\/a> that made national news. Right-wing activists had targeted Fairhope\u2019s beloved public library, convincing the state to pull funding over books they deemed obscene. Among the people gathered outside the civic center, several said they could not understand why city officials, including the mayor, stood up for the library only to express support for Gamble\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n

Others were driven by national politics. A man dressed in a taco suit was a member of Mobile\u2019s Indivisible chapter. \u201cThis is all about Trump,\u201d he said. The fact that people were protesting in this part of the state spoke volumes about the destruction Trump has wrought, he said. \u201cThis is deep-red Alabama \u2014 as red as it can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Presiding over the trial was Magistrate Judge Haymes Snedeker, best known as the older brother of champion pro golfer Brandt Snedeker and a noted amateur golfer himself. Snedeker sought to defuse the tension in the room, reassuring attendees at the start that, while Gamble technically faced the possibility of six months in prison, \u201cthat\u2019s not gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the city\u2019s burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, Snedeker went on. \u201cI\u2019m just an umpire calling balls and strikes.\u201d He had just asked people to silence their cellphones when a ringtone broke out, apparently from one of the police officers lining the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cBad start for the city,\u201d Snedeker quipped.<\/p>\n

If Snedeker was trying to keep things light, McDowell, the city attorney, was not in a joking mood. It was no secret that Gamble was considering suing the city \u2014 and any potential lawsuit would be on him to defend. The threat of legal action helped explain why McDowell might have refused to drop the charges. If Gamble was convicted, after all, she would have no grounds to sue.<\/p>\n

McDowell insisted that, while there is no constitutional right to dress as a giant \u201cerect penis,\u201d this case had nothing to do with the First Amendment. Gamble\u2019s case was about public safety.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to preserve a town that has values.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

He called the man who arrested Gamble: Fairhope Police Cpl. Andrew Babb. A 15-year veteran of the force, he testified that he\u2019d been called to the scene due to reports of a disturbance at the busy intersection. When he pulled up, he spotted a \u201c7-foot inflatable penis.\u201d It was impossible to tell the identity of the person inside the costume, Babb said. He assumed it must be a teenager.<\/p>\n

Did you know it was an old woman?\u201d McDowell asked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not that old,\u201d someone muttered in the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Babb said.<\/p>\n

Babb said he ordered Gamble to remove the penis suit. When she refused to comply, \u201cshe was put to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Babb denied that he\u2019d been personally offended by Gamble\u2019s costume. Rather, he was concerned that Gamble, who could neither see nor walk very well while wearing it, posed a risk to herself and others. \u201cYou saw her as an obstruction and a safety risk?\u201d McDowell asked. Yes, Babb said.<\/p>\n

This was laughable. In his body camera footage, Babb repeatedly scolds Gamble for the costume, demanding to know how she would explain it to his kids. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to violate your freedom of speech,\u201d he says as he unzips the penis suit. \u201cI\u2019m trying to preserve a town that has values.\u201d Now McDowell was conjuring an alternate reality in which Gamble had teetered precariously at the edge of the road, endangering motorists, while the protest itself was veering close to a riot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a brushfire,\u201d Babb claimed at one point. \u201cWe were trying to stop it from spreading.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gamble was represented by David Gespass, a veteran civil rights attorney who wore a Constitution-themed tie reading \u201cWe the People.\u201d He asked Babb why he\u2019d zeroed in on Gamble if his concern was traffic safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a distraction,\u201d Babb said. \u201cA distraction can be a hazard.\u201d Gespass pointed out that Babb\u2019s incident report invoked the legal definitions of obscenity: Why did he write that the penis costume was devoid of any \u201cartistic value\u201d? Babb replied that the protest took place at noon on a Saturday, in the midst of Little League baseball season, and on the same day as a funeral for a former mayor. \u201cIn that setting, it would be obscene,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Much of Babb\u2019s testimony was easily refuted by the body camera footage. Babb claimed that Gamble resisted arrest, and that he only called for backup once she was on the ground. In reality, he called for backup almost immediately. Babb claimed that he told Gamble she was \u201cnot free to go.\u201d In fact, she repeatedly asked, \u201cAm I being detained?\u201d but he ignored her, continuing to scold her instead. When Gespass asked why Babb grabbed his client from behind, Babb claimed that he would not have been able to get in front of her \u2014 there were too many people in the way.<\/p>\n

But perhaps most preposterous was the claim that Babb\u2019s actions were necessary to contain a situation that threatened to spiral out of control. \u201cHe made a clear professional effort to deescalate,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cShe<\/em> decided to escalate,\u201d he said, \u201cpoking and prodding\u201d in a deliberate attempt to get arrested.<\/p>\n

Listening to this, Gamble seemed to have a hard time containing her emotions. Even in her face mask, she looked stunned, indignant, and increasingly agitated. Her bright blue eyes widened. Her eyebrows raised upward. Once or twice, she threw her arms up in exasperation and disbelief. On her wrist, a warning flashed across the screen of her Snoopy-themed smartwatch: Her heart rate was spiking.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"
\n A still from police body camera footage of Renea Gamble at a No Kings protest being approached by Fairhope Police Cpl. Andrew Babb in Fairhope, Ala., on Oct. 18, 2025.<\/span>\u00a0Still: The Intercept<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For all the<\/span> hilarity surrounding Fairhope\u2019s \u201cpenis lady,\u201d the arrest and its aftermath had taken a toll. Gamble\u2019s adult daughter Adeana sat behind her mother at the trial, reading a library book during breaks in the testimony and occasionally communicating with her in sign language. She told me that Gamble had hit the back of her head when she fell to the ground, which was hard to see in the tape, and raised concerns about a possible concussion. She also worried about injury to Gamble\u2019s wrists, especially because Gamble has long lived with rheumatoid arthritis. As a longtime ASL interpreter, \u201cshe\u2019s always protected her hands,\u201d Adeana explained.<\/p>\n

But the real cost had been psychological. For about two months, Adeana said, Gamble was afraid to leave the house. When threatening mail arrived at the family\u2019s home, Adeana suggested calling the police. \u201cAnd she said, \u2018What police?\u2019\u201d How could she expect law enforcement to protect her?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The story behind the penis suit further undermined the case against Gamble. According to Adeana, Gamble purchased it at the last minute as a backup. \u201cShe had ordered a sea turtle costume,\u201d Adeana said. She\u2019d planned to wear it while holding a sign that said \u201cI love the Gulf of Mexico.\u201d But the costume didn\u2019t arrive on time. \u201cSo she had to scramble to find another one and a message to go with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This context didn\u2019t make it into the trial. Instead, Gespass called a slew of defense witnesses who attended the No Kings protest. One after another, they reiterated what was already clear: The rally had been peaceful. There was no threat to anyone\u2019s safety. The only escalation came from the police.<\/p>\n

It was after 5 p.m. when Snedeker made clear he\u2019d seen enough. He had already tossed the charge of providing a false name to police. Now he was ready to rule on the rest.<\/p>\n

Snedeker said that while he believed that police had probable cause to arrest Gamble, the city\u2019s evidence was not strong enough to convict; Gamble was not guilty. The room broke into applause.<\/p>\n

Snedeker tried to put a positive spin on things, speculating that some good might come of the episode. For instance, police now knew to place barricades between the streets and a protest \u2014 a common-sense precaution. But the judge\u2019s no-harm, no-foul sentiments fell flat. Fairhope police had made the town a laughingstock. Now the city was about to be sued.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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In fact, much of the trial seemed aimed at inoculating the city from a lawsuit. McDowell repeatedly emphasized that Babb\u2019s actions were \u201creasonable\u201d given the circumstances \u2014 the legal standard that judges use when dismissing claims of police abuse. Gespass also revealed that McDowell had offered a hasty plea deal just moments before the trial began. Gamble rejected it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Alabamians, we dare defend our rights, and this fight is not over,\u201d she announced after her acquittal. On Friday, she served notice of a lawsuit with the city clerk.<\/p>\n

Whatever comes next, Adeana made clear that her mother was luckier than most. \u201cWhat would have happened if she was a young Black man?\u201d she asked. \u201cWhat would have happened if she was a middle-aged Latina woman?\u201d In Baldwin County, where Indivisible activists are focused on supporting immigrants targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Gamble\u2019s prosecution has been a lesson unto itself. \u201cIf we don\u2019t stand up and support our neighbors, who will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adeana understood why Gamble was so widely described as a \u201cgrandmother\u201d in the headlines following her arrest. But the label didn\u2019t capture the full picture. \u201cIf anything, we\u2019re getting more explosive in our older age,\u201d Adeana said. \u201cBecause we\u2019re tired of being pushed down.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The trial of Renea Gamble had been underway for almost two hours when Marcus McDowell, the city attorney of Fairhope, Alabama, called a surprise witness. \u201cI call the gentleman in the red shirt,\u201d he said, pointing toward a long-haired man in the second row. It took a moment to realize that he was referring to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4864","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-usa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}