Are the protesters being spied on by drones?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has confirmed that their MQ-9 drones were deployed at the Los Angeles protests. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP) has confirmed that their MQ-9 drones were deployed to the protests in Los Angeles, at the request of the Department of Homeland Security headed by Secretary Kristi Noem, under the Trump administration.

CBP maintains that its drones are not used to directly monitor protesters in Los Angeles.

According to 404 Media, and as reported by Wired, the official justification put forward for deploying the drones is that they are used to “ensure the safety of officers when requested”.

These aircraft, designed for high-altitude surveillance, are generally reserved for military or border control missions.

Their use in a protest context raises serious concerns about the militarization of law enforcement and the privacy of American citizens.

Although few details have been provided on the precise use of these drones in the context of the Los Angeles protests, these same devices had already been deployed during the demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd.

Their use continues to draw criticism for the use of military surveillance technologies in First Amendment-protected events, and reinforces calls for greater transparency in the use of these military drones for population control purposes.