Protest over body scanners at ABIA

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Dozens of people bearing posters turned out at Austin Bergstrom International Airportthis afternoon to protest naked body scanners.

Texans for Accountable Government is leading the charge to get Austin City Council to take a stand against the Transportation Security Administration .

ABIA does not currently have the scanners, but could be getting them as early as March of next year.

Protest over body scanners at ABIA: kxan.com

Jackie, a nurse who came out to protest, is hoping to prevent that from happening.

“This is no proof, no one can say body scanners are safe,” said Jackie, who declined to give her last name.  “Any amount of radiation is dangerous.”

Enhanced pat down producers were also scrutinized by protestors.

“Blatantly feeling up and groping people is just wrong and we have to put a stop to it,” said Randy Peterson, who held up a homemade poster for those passing by to see.

TAG wants Austin city council to pass a resolution officially taking a stand against the new security measures.

Many of them met with council members Friday, just days after the city’s Airport Advisory Commission approved a similar resolution.

“It has nothing to do with safety. It has everything to do with control,” Jackie explained.

TSA officials disagree.

Ahead of the holiday rush, they want to assure passengers the technology is not only safe and more private than some may want to believe.

“The radiation there is no greater than that of your cell phone,” said Dr. Cedric Alexander.

“The faces are blurred, the bodies are more of a chalk like image,” explained Luis Casanova, TSA spokesperson.  “We’re not interested in seeing the bodies, we’re interested in seeing any objects, foreign objects on the body.”

Peterson believes privacy is not TSA’s priority and the scanners would violate Austinites’ rights.

“TSA is treading on our 4th Amendment rights,” Peterson added.