GLIMPSES: On fringes of UN perimeter, placards and protests

By AYA BATRAWY
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Inside the grand hall of the United Nations, the world’s leaders are convening this week. Each is taking a turn to speak at the high-level leaders’ meeting at the U.N. General Assembly. It’s a practice rooted in diplomatic decorum and strict protocol. But walk a few blocks — past the metal detectors and through the maze of police barricades — and another tradition unfolds: protests. Out here, fewer rules apply. And plenty of shouting is welcome. With the world’s attention focused on the General Assembly and the leaders gathered there, disparate groups with far-ranging grievances congregate in the hopes of catching some of the limelight in Midtown.