Anti-Islam posters with depictions of the World Trade Towers in flames will be plastered around 50 different New York MTA stations beginning December 17.
The $10,000-plus campaign is part of an ongoing campaign by Pamela Geller, executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative.
While previous posters, which read “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man,” were vandalized within an hour when they were put up in September, Geller told the New York Observer that she’s now prepared. Geller has made twice as many posters.
“I refuse to abridge my free speech so as to appease savages,” she said.
The MTA Board tried to block these types of ads being posted in stations in September but according to a statement, it couldn’t due to the First Amendment.
“We had thought this did not mean having to run divisive ads that demeaned others, but the recent litigation tells us otherwise,” said an MTA press release. “We deplore such hate messages and remain hopeful that the vast majority of advertisers in our buses, subways, trains, and stations will remain responsible and respectful of their audiences.”