UCLA student groups organize protest against drones
Amnesty International at UCLA held a protest Thursday against the use of drones, saying they are responsible for unlawful killings abroad. (Laura Boranian, Bruin contributor)
By Daily Bruin
May 8, 2014 1:58 p.m.
A few students from several student groups lay on the ground and pretended to be dead on Thursday as part of a protest against the use of drones in American warfare.
Members of Amnesty International at UCLA reached out to several groups to participate in their protest Thursday. Young Americans for Liberty, Bruin Democrats, Bruin Libertarians, Student Voice for Peace and Jewish Voice for Peace coordinated the protest because they said they are opposed to killings by the use of drones.
Drones are unmanned vehicles used in war, controlled by pilots from the ground. They are either programmed for surveillance purposes or armed with missiles and bombs. The United States has used drones in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan since Congress passed a bill authorizing their use in 2012.
Some argue that drones are useful because they can supervise facilities and infrastructure easily and cheaply. But others argue drones should be banned because they could pose a safety risk and can be used for unconstitutionally monitoring people.
Co-president of Amnesty International at UCLA and fourth-year neuroscience student Dae Woong Kim said he thinks drones are unlawful because people targeted or killed by drones do not receive a fair trial. The goal of Thursday’s protest is to get students to sign a petition to encourage the government to stop the use of drones, he added.
KIm said while Amnesty International at UCLA has previously organized many protests, this is their first time doing a die-in, where they pretend to be dead as an act of protest.
Compiled by Laura Boranian, Bruin contributor.
