Competing demonstrations have been held in New York on the anniversary of 9/11 over plans for an Islamic cultural centre close to Ground Zero. Hundreds of people attended both demonstrations which became heated but passed off without violent incident.
New York authorities blocked off the street passing the site of the proposed Islamic cultural centre, a short walk away from Ground Zero. Mounted police and dog units patrolled the streets, keeping the protests separated in two pens a distance away from the site of the former World Trade Center.
The competing protests attracted people from many different groups, from anti-war activists to Hell’s Angels, former US Marines to Buddhists.
Mr Wilders, a right-wing politician from the Netherlands who believes that Islam is comparable with Fascism, told the crowd that the planned cultural centre should not be allowed to go ahead. “We must never give a free hand to those who want to subjugate us, draw this line so that New York will never become New Mecca,” he said.
The rally was also addressed by the former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton and other Republican commentators. But others said campaigners against the mosque were part of a hate campaign against Muslims.
“I’m really fearful of all of the hate that’s going on in our country,” Elizabeth Meehan, 51, told the Associated Press. “People in one brand of Christianity are coming out against other faiths, and I find that so sad, Muslims are fellow Americans; they should have the right to worship in America just like anyone else.”
See also AFP, AOL, NY1, TPM and New York Daily News.
