Families of 9/11 victims to protest mosque at Ground Zero

NEW YORK - Families of the victims of the 9/11 terror attack in New York would hold a protest at the site of the World Trade Centre to oppose the construction of a mosque there.

The families would be joined in the protest in Manhattan Sunday by firefighters, people who responded first to the attack, and residents of the neighbourhood, CNN reported.

“Protests will take place Sunday, rain or shine,” said the Coalition to Honor Ground Zero, which is organising the rally.

Plans to build the centre near the site have stirred emotions nationwide. A CNN poll conducted earlier in August said the nationwide opposition to the proposed facility was close to 68 percent.

“That tells me the wounds of 9/11 haven’t healed, and I think if they haven’t, perhaps we can find ways to bring about that healing by perhaps creating a situation where people will feel more comfortable,” New York Governor David Paterson said.

Paterson, however, said there was no local, state or federal statute that would prevent the construction of the facility.