Man arrested at abortion protest for earlier incident

NORTHEAST HARBOR — Eli Durand-McDonnell, 21, of Bar Harbor, was arrested for disorderly conduct in Northeast Harbor at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

He was arrested at a peaceful protest in front of the South Shore Road home of Leonard Leo, who advised former President Donald Trump on the nomination of several Supreme Court justices.

But Durand-McDonald was arrested for an incident that took place earlier on Sunday at a different location in Northeast Harbor. Mount Desert Police Chief Jim Willis said he could not disclose the nature of that incident, citing “an ongoing investigation with pending court action.”

Leo, a seasonal resident of Northeast Harbor, has been the object of protests before. The latest round of protests began after the Supreme Court’s recent anti-abortion rights decision was announced.

Leo is co-chairman and former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, an organization of conservatives and libertarians that supports an “originalist interpretation” of the U.S. Constitution. It advocates for the appointment of anti-abortion rights judges to the federal courts.

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Dick Broom

Reporter at Mount Desert Islander

Dick Broom covers the towns of Mount Desert and Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert Island High School and the school system board and superintendent's office. He enjoys hiking with his golden retriever and finding new places for her to swim. [email protected]

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