General Michael Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency, addresses a crowd in the Duquesne Power Center ballroom on Tuesday afternoon, shortly before protests erupt.
By Raymond Arke and Kaye Burnet | The Duquesne Duke
Four young men interrupted a talk with General Michael Hayden in the Duquesne University Power Center Ballroom Tuesday afternoon, holding signs and calling Hayden a “war criminal,” according to students attending the event.
Duquesne junior international relations major Natalie Lemmo was listening to the presentation when she saw several students stand and start screaming “Assassination is a war crime!”
Four protesters are escorted out of the Duquesne Power Center Ballroom by police after protesting against General Michael Hayden, who was giving a speech on campus Tuesday afternoon.
The protests began after former Duquesne Law Dean Ken Gormley, who was hosting the event, asked Hayden a question about terrorism. Hayden responded by emphasizing the importance of drone strikes in overseas conflicts, according to students in attendance. Shortly afterwards, the four men stood and began their shouting. Duquesne police quickly escorted them out of the room.
Hayden, a Duquesne alumnus and former leader of the CIA and the NSA, spoke at Duquesne about American intelligence and the war on terror. Hayden has been at the center of several controversies, including the use of drones in conflict and the mass collection of cellphone and internet data by the National Security Administration.
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