More than two dozen protesters gathered outside Camp Pendleton's main gate yesterday afternoon to denounce the use of pigs in military-trauma training.

Jena Hunt, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which organized the protest, said there are more humane ways for service members to train, including advanced human simulators that could function as victims and having service members rotate into military-trauma centers where they can learn life-saving techniques.

Nasim Aghdam, 29, a San Diego animal rights activist, dressed in a wig and jeans with large blood drops painted on them.

“For me, animal rights equal human rights,” Aghdam said.

The training has become standard on numerous U.S. military bases and off-site locations across the country during the eight years of war in the Middle East. It is intended to prepare frontline troops and corpsmen for the gore and pressure they will encounter treating wounds on the battlefield.

The pigs are connected to IV tubes delivering anesthesia. They are euthanized when training is completed.