Alerts halt Brooklyn Bridge birthday bash

Terror warnings have singled out New York landmarks

By Jane Standley BBC correspondent in New York

A birthday party for New York's famous Brooklyn Bridge has been cancelled because of recent warnings by the FBI that the city and its landmarks could be the target for terrorist attacks.

The "Brooklyn Bridge to the World" party is the first public event to be shelved since the warnings were made on Tuesday.

The celebration would have marked the bridge's 119th birthday with fireworks, street performers and a giant cake.

Security has been stepped up

But Brooklyn's Borough President, Marty Markowitz, cancelled the event before the police even asked him to.

The bridge, along with the Statue of Liberty and City Hall, were singled out in a warning from the FBI of possible attacks on landmarks in New York.

Despite the warnings, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is urging citizens to get out and enjoy what New York has to offer - otherwise it is letting the terrorists win.

That is a sentiment echoed by many New Yorkers, who are renowned for their toughness and a resilience which sometimes borders on the rude.

But others say they have become increasingly nervous as more and more warnings of the certainty of further attacks have been made by members of the government and the FBI.

Some New Yorkers say they believe the government is using the warnings to distract attention from questions which are being asked about how much it knew before the 11 September attacks.

Security throughout New York - including Brooklyn Bridge itself - has been stepped up, with more police roadblocks and random searches.

There are also patrols of the city's rivers using boats and helicopters.