Ahlul Bayt News Agency, On a rainy day in New York City, Lower Manhattan was awash in demonstrators voicing their opposition or their support for a proposed Islamic Cultural Center and mosque about two and a half blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center.
The New York Police Department closed the block of Park Place where the site for the proposed 13-story building is located and endeavored to keep the demonstrators in two separate areas, depending on whether they supported or opposed the project. Those efforts were not always successful.
The New York Times reported that a medical student from Brooklyn, Michael Rose, approached the mosque opponents as he carried a sign saying, "Religious tolerance is what makes America great."
WCBS television said that some mosque opponents tried to infiltrate the demonstration held by the mosque supporters but that they were escorted out by police officers.
Protesters carried signs that said "Never Forget 911" and "Sharia" in red letters that appeared to be dripping blood. Sharia is Islam's religious law.
A retired firefighter, Tim Brown, who barely escaped the collapse of one of the Twin Towers, said, according to the New York Daily News: "It's very insensitive to the families. This is not about religious freedom. As we are saying is don't build this mosque here at Ground Zero on our cemetery."
One boy who was among the supporters of the mosque told the cable news channel New York 1: "I am a Muslim and I'm an American also. And I'm for the Constitution and in school I learned that I have freedom of religion."
The police reported no violence, no arrests and no injuries in connection with the protests. "The rain was the biggest problem," the police told the Times.
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