Airship over NSA data center protests spying (pictures)

Greenpeace, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Tenth Amendment Center join forces to protest the government's mass surveillance program.

James Martin

James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.

See full bio

James Martin

June 27, 2014 4:18 p.m. PT

1 of 4 Greenpeace

High above the all-seeing eye

A coalition of grassroots groups from across the political spectrum joined forces to fly an airship over the NSA's data center in Bluffdale, Utah on Friday.

"Rights rise or fall together," Greenpeace's Gary Cook in a statement. "Greenpeace has learned first hand that people cannot protect their right to clean air and water if our civil rights – including the right to free association and the right to be free of unreasonable searches – are stripped away."

2 of 4 Greenpeace

"NSA Illegal Spying Below"

To protest the government's surveillance programs, the environmental group Greenpeace flew its 135-foot-long thermal airship over the data center carrying the message "NSA Illegal Spying Below."

3 of 4 Greenpeace

Joint action

Greenpeace, digital rights watchdog Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the tea party affiliated organization Tenth Amendment Center all participated in the high-flying stunt.

4 of 4 Greenpeace

In defense of privacy

"We're flying an airship over the Utah data center, which has come to symbolize the NSA's collect-it-all approach to surveillance, and demanding an end to the mass spying," said Rainey Reitman, activism director at the EFF, in a statement. "It's time for bold action in defense of our privacy."

The EFF is representing a broad coalition of organizations, including Greenpeace, in a lawsuit against the NSA for violating the organizations' First Amendment rights by illegally collecting their call records.