Firefighters at Ground Zero Protest Charged

— -- The Sept. 11 terror attacks had a profound impact on the United States, and the effects are still rippling across American society in large and small ways. Here is a periodic wrap-up of some of them.

Firefighters Charged Over World Trade Center Clash

N E W Y O R K., Nov. 3 — Ten New York firefighters were charged with misdemeanors early today over clashes with the police during a protest near the World Trade Center against cuts in the number of workers assigned to comb the rubble of the remains.

The Manhattan District Attorney charged 10of the firefighters with obstruction of governmentaladministration, disorderly conduct and trespassing — allmisdemeanors. Two of the 12 arrested were not charged.

On Friday, firefighters and policemen, praised as heroes after theSept. 11 attack, clashed near ground zero whenfiremen overturned barricades and punched police officersduring the protest by some 1,000 firefighters.

Five policemen were assaulted and 12 firefighters arrestedwhen firefighters broke through police barricades near the siteof their finest hour in protests over recovery personnel cutsthe mayor said were needed for safety reasons but firefighterssaid were a matter of money.

The 10 are to appear for another hearing Dec. 18.On Friday, the protesting firefighters headed to the siteof the collapsed towers, shouting "Bring them home" in areference to their fallen comrades. They held a brief prayerand then walked through Lower Manhattan to City Hall asonlookers cheered.

"There is no question that emotions are very, very high forall of us," New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told a newsconference. "But the reality is the kind of conduct displayed today isunacceptable. You cannot hit police officers. You can't disobeythe law," he said.

—The Associated Press

Muslim Leader Condemns Terror Suspects

G R E E N S B O R O, N.C., Nov. 2 — The leader of the nation's largest group of Muslims says the Sept. 11 hijackers must have known their actions were wrong.