The incident happened shortly before President Barack Obama was due to give a speech at the White House announcing his new pick as housing secretary.
The man, named by the Secret Service as Michel Bechard, refused to be subdued and was duly arrested, a spokesman said.
Witnesses said uniformed officers covered the man in a foil heat sheet and loaded him into a Secret Service van.
Photos on Twitter showed at least three police officers kneeling on the naked man to keep him under control. Another image showed the man standing just a few steps from the White House fence as people stood around and snapped pictures with their camera phones.
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The man, named by the Secret Service as Michel Bechard, refused to be subdued and was duly arrested, a spokesman said.
Witnesses said uniformed officers covered the man in a foil heat sheet and loaded him into a Secret Service van.
Photos on Twitter showed at least three police officers kneeling on the naked man to keep him under control. Another image showed the man standing just a few steps from the White House fence as people stood around and snapped pictures with their camera phones.
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