Columbus, Ga. ? Thousands of people attended workshops and religious ceremonies Saturday in preparation for a demonstration against a military school they say abuses human rights in Latin America.

Today’s demonstration will be the 13th annual protest outside Fort Benning by the School of the Americas Watch.

Protesters light fire to an upside-down U.S. flag in front of Fort Benning. Thousands of protesters attended workshops Saturday prior to today's demonstration against the School of the Americas.

The protests were started because of the Nov. 16, 1989, killings in El Salvador of six Jesuit priests. Some involved in the killings had attended the Army’s former School of the Americas, which moved to Fort Benning from Panama in 1984.

As many as 7,000 protesters took part last year, including 31 who entered the post illegally, carrying crosses and mock coffins to honor the victims of Latin American violence. Twenty-eight pleaded guilty or were found guilty of trespassing and some of those are still serving six-month sentences.

The Army’s School of the Americas was replaced last year by a new institution operated by the Department of Defense and supervised by an independent 13-member board. Human rights courses are mandatory.