Hundreds of onlookers, mostly men, turned out to watch the topless demo Photo: WGME

Organiser Ty MacDowell, 20, said the protest in Portland, Maine, was aimed at showing the double standards in the state of Maine.

Men are allowed to walk down the street shirtless but, although not illegal, women are too afraid to go topless.

Police gave the two dozen women an escort as they bared their breasts for a stroll through Maine’s biggest city.

Hundreds of onlookers, mostly men, turned out to watch the topless demo.

MacDowell said she was upset that many of the men were taking photos on their mobile phones at the spectacle.

She said: “I’m really upset by the men … watching it like it’s a parade.”

Maine has some of the most relaxed nudity laws in the US. Women are allowed to go topless, but very few choose to strip off for fear of being ogled.

Maine’s nudity laws only come into action when men or women expose their lower half.