An anti-war group Tuesday renewed its fight for permission to stage a massive protest in Central Park on the eve of the Republican National Convention after its request had been rejected by city authorities.

The group United for Peace and Justice said that it is planningto hold a rally in the park by reapplying for a permit to use the Great Lawn and the East and North Meadows.

The Parks Department denied the group a permit to hold a rally for an estimated 250,000 people on the Great Lawn, saying the crowd would damage the grass. Last month, the group had agreed to the city's police department's proposal to rally along the West Side Highway after marching past Madison Square Garden.

"We are exploring all our options, including legal options," said Leslie Cagan, the group's national coordinator. "The lawyers who we have been working with are looking into a possible lawsuit.We are not ruling that out. But we're not yet moving forward on that either, because we do want the city to give us a response."

The group says further research after it accepted the compromise led to the conclusion that the new location would be too hot, making it unsafe for the elderly and children.

The city is expected to issue a response later on Tuesday.

Source: Xinhua