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Barricade Erected Near Ten Commandments Monument

Aired August 25, 2003 - 15:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Controversy in the state of Alabama over the Ten Commandments.
For the very latest, let's go to Montgomery and to CNN's David Mattingly -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, some developments here in the last couple of minutes, the erection of a barricade back there behind the pillars.

You can it set up back there. People, the protesters, have to stay on this side of the barricade. You see some people on the other side. That is news media, with their cameras set up. Everyone is wondering if this means that, sometime soon, that the monument to the Ten Commandments might be moved. Organizers of this protest did come out and say that they were placed there for safety reasons by the building manager here in the building.

It was overseen by uniformed officers. And, at the same time, everyone here was reminded what to do when the monument is moved. They've been told to kneel at the exits of the building, to obstruct anyone who might be trying to go in or out. They've also been told to be peaceful. They've been told not to lock arms and to respond when a police officer asks them to move. So it's largely a symbolic show of civil disobedience that's being planned here at the time that the monument is moved.

But at this point, that big question that's been on everyone's mind for almost a week now, when and where will the monument be moved, has still not been answered. In the meantime, you can hear behind me the people here pumping up the volume just a little bit, the continuous prayer, continuous singing going on here at the steps of the Alabama Supreme Court -- Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: All right, a complex legal dispute. And, David, we will come back to you as developments warrant. David Mattingly, thank you very much in Montgomery.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 25, 2003 - 15:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Controversy in the state of Alabama over the Ten Commandments.
For the very latest, let's go to Montgomery and to CNN's David Mattingly -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, some developments here in the last couple of minutes, the erection of a barricade back there behind the pillars.

You can it set up back there. People, the protesters, have to stay on this side of the barricade. You see some people on the other side. That is news media, with their cameras set up. Everyone is wondering if this means that, sometime soon, that the monument to the Ten Commandments might be moved. Organizers of this protest did come out and say that they were placed there for safety reasons by the building manager here in the building.

It was overseen by uniformed officers. And, at the same time, everyone here was reminded what to do when the monument is moved. They've been told to kneel at the exits of the building, to obstruct anyone who might be trying to go in or out. They've also been told to be peaceful. They've been told not to lock arms and to respond when a police officer asks them to move. So it's largely a symbolic show of civil disobedience that's being planned here at the time that the monument is moved.

But at this point, that big question that's been on everyone's mind for almost a week now, when and where will the monument be moved, has still not been answered. In the meantime, you can hear behind me the people here pumping up the volume just a little bit, the continuous prayer, continuous singing going on here at the steps of the Alabama Supreme Court -- Judy, back to you.

WOODRUFF: All right, a complex legal dispute. And, David, we will come back to you as developments warrant. David Mattingly, thank you very much in Montgomery.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com