About 25 students from UF Libertarians and the Gainesville chapter of Students for a Democratic Society protested the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on the Plaza of the Americas on Friday.
The protest was held for the 10-year anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan.
A 15-foot-long display made up of seven wood planks arranged on the lawn read "743,917 killed by the war."
"We want to remind people of the human cost of the war," said William Tew, 21, president of UF Libertarians and a classical studies senior.
The protesters set up a table where students could learn more about UF Libertarians and register to be on the group's listserv.
The group distributed more than 1,000 fliers with statistics on the cost of the war.
The UF Libertarians have been working on this project since the beginning of the semester. They received a $250 protest grant from the national organization Students for Liberty, Tew said.
This was not the first protest against the war in Afghanistan that has been held on campus. A protest was held by students on the eighth and ninth anniversaries of the war in Afghanistan.
Art history sophomore Michela Martinazzi, 19, is a lead organizer for SDS and was involved with the ninth-anniversary protest, which featured students holding anti-war signs and various speakers on issues related to the war.
"[A protest] is a different tactic but still a very good one to get the message across," Martinazzi said.
The UF Libertarian officers came up with the idea for the protest this past summer. They were inspired by "national debt clock" protests done by other chapters of Young Americans for Liberty, Tew said. In these protests, the United States' $14 trillion debt was displayed. Some displays were up to 40 feet long.
To prepare, students obtained a permit to protest, painted the 34th Street wall and posted fliers on campus, said 19-year-old John Brandli, vice president of UF Libertarians and a computer science sophomore.
The UF Libertarians are planning a meeting to watch "Cold Murder," a WikiLeaks video that relates to this cause for students who are interested in more information.
Tew encouraged students who want to make a difference to attend the group's upcoming events and "put pressure" on their politicians.
"I hope that [students will] wake up to what is happening and be spurred in who they support politically," Tew said.
A sign that reads "743,917 killed by the war" sits on the Plaza of the Americas at a protest on Friday against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
