Thousands of Protestors Expected In New York For 9/11

Sept. 10, 2010 — -- Nine separate protests related to 9/11 and the planned construction of a Muslim community center near Ground Zero are planned for this week and are expected to draw thousands of protestors, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday.

Speaking in Brooklyn following a speech on preparedness by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Kelly told reporters that no threats of violence had been received in connection with either the demonstrations or the 9/11 memorial service to be held at the World Trade Center site Saturday morning.

"We are well prepared," Kelly said, noting that the city hosts 600 major events below 59th Street in Manhattan each year. He also noted that crowd sizes for demonstrations are difficult to predict as organizers can puff up numbers and weather always plays a role in turn-out.

Several hundred police officers will be involved in security for the events and Kelly noted that at least through next week a detail will be stationed in front of the planned site of 51 Park, the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque."

Six demonstrations are planned for the Lower Manhattan area during the day Saturday.

The largest is expected to be the anti mosque protest at 2 p.m. at Park Place and West Broadway, planned site of the community center. Organizers told police they expect about 1,000 people to attend, and organizer Pamela Geller walked through the site with police yesterday.

Asked if the protests and controversy surrounding the community center were taking away from the memorial service Kelly said "that's not for me to say."

"We are doing what we think is appropriate to make sure it is a safe and secure event."

He said that the police presence at scheduled dueling demonstrations was designed to ensure groups with opposing views were kept apart.

"We want to make sure people are separated," he said.

Police officials say that they have been in conversations with Imam Faisal Rauf, the imam who announced plans for Park51, to ensure his security and safety.

Police sources say that no threats have been received against Rauf.

In his remarks Kelly noted that while the city has only a small number of anti-Muslim bias crimes each year, there had been a slight increase recently.

Kelly also said that "it doesn't seem like nine years" since Sept. 11, 2001. He added that the city has experienced and thwarted, with law enforcement partners, 11 planned attacks since that date.

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