Muslim Groups Plan Rally After NYPD Intel Report
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Muslim groups are planning a march to NYPD headquarters Friday afternoon to protest what they say is police spying on their community.
The rally is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in Foley Square.
A secret 2006 document, obtained by the Associated Press, shows the NYPD recommended increasing surveillance on Muslims and their mosques based solely on their religion.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the NYPD never considers religion in its policing.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly clarified the document's meaning saying, "I'm told it's our contingency plan for outbreak of hostilities involving Iran, which sounds like something we should be doing."
Activists in the Muslim community recently sought Kelly's resignation over a video shown to 1,500 officers saying that Muslims wanted to "infiltrate and dominate" the U.S.
"What we're seeing here is an institutionalized policy of religious discrimination. This is from the very high levels of the NYPD leadership being lied about and covered up by those in the NYPD leadership," said Cyrus McGoldrick of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The document will likely renew debate over how the NYPD views Muslims in 2012.
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for hearings in Albany over the alleged spying without warrants or evidence of wrongdoing.
