Ghoulish-looking protestors staged a 'die-in' this morning in downtown Buffalo as part of May Day/International Worker's Day demonstrations across the country.
Die-ins, where participant simulate being dead, became a popular form of protest against the Iraq war. The silent protest with American flags and anti-war signs took place outside the Lafayette Square military recruiter station.
Organizer Chris Phillips with Occupy Western New York covered himself in fake blood and bandages to help draw attention to the group's cause. Phillips says the goal is to raise awareness about U.S. taxpayer dollars being spent on foreign conflicts that he says have killed thousands of people and wasted trillions of dollars.
"We would like to see an end to all foreign conflict immediately and to see our taxpayer dollars used wisely for schools and healthcare and things here at home, and to stop creating debt with war," Phillips said.
About a half-dozen people joined Phillips for the protest, which was closely watched by an equal number of Buffalo police officers. Occupy events are planned in cities across the United States and the world on Tuesday.