Thousands Gather for NSA Protest in Washington, D.C.

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By Samantha Murphy Kelly2013-10-27 17:56:26 UTC

Carrying signs emblazoned with "Stop Massive Spying" and "We the People — Not See the People," thousands gathered at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on Saturday to protest against the National Security Agency, whose mass surveillance methods have been under fire since whistleblower Edward Snowden first revealed them in June.

Called "Stop Watching Us," the protest featured speakers and performers urging U.S. Congress to investigate the NSA's top-secret surveillance programs. Ultimately, protestors delivered a petition signed by more than 575,000 people nationwide to institute reforms and "hold responsible parties accountable for misleading lawmakers and the American people."

See also: 7 Ways Companies Are Using the Government's Open Data

A statement was also read on behalf of Snowden, who is reportedly living in an undisclosed location in Russia.

“We are witnessing an American moment, in which ordinary people — from high schools to high office — stand up to oppose a dangerous trend in government," the statement said.

Snowden has previously said that he was motivated to leak documents exposing the surveillance programs and NSA's role in drone killings because U.S. citizens deserved to know.

Speakers at the protest included U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, former member of Congress and two-time presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, Government Accountability Project director Jesselyn Radack and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

The StopWatching.Us coalition also released statements from partners and supporters, including Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's.

For a full look at the protest, watch the video, below:

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Images: Flickr, swu dc

Topics: NSA, Politics, protest, Snowden, U.S., US & World, World