by Jill Colvin, DNAinfo.com, 08.19.2010

DOWNTOWN — Construction workers at the World Trade Center are wearing their opposition to a nearby mosque and community center on their hard hats, and several said they would refuse to build the proposed facility.

The round stickers seen on many workers at Ground Zero — two blocks from the proposed Park51 project — feature the words "Mosque @ Ground Zero" crossed out in red. Workers said dozens of others had them as well.

William McCabe, 31, who lost an uncle on 9/11, used black marker to scrawl "WTC No Mosque" on the back of his neon construction vest in protest.

"It’s like spitting in the face of all the people that died," said McCabe, who lives in Queens and has been working on Tower One for about five months. "What they're going to be doing [inside the center] is praying and laughing because they got the mosque.

"My uncle's turning in his grave. It's a disgrace."

Park51 organizers this week reiterated that they are "moving ahead with current plans" despite the opposition and an idea floated by Gov. David Paterson to move the center elsewhere.

Mark Sabay, 48, of Brooklyn, who has been working on the site for two years, said a co-worker handed him a sticker three days ago. He immediately affixed it to his hardhat.

Sabay said that building the mosque so close to Ground Zero is "a smack in the face to Americans."

Many workers also said they will refuse to work on the mosque's construction if they are ever assigned to the site at 51 Park Place.

"It's disrespectful," said Ray Wooley, 40, who lives on Long Island and said he has been working at Ground Zero on-and-off for the past 8 years.

Even with the economy slow and so few jobs out there, he said, "I wouldn't work there."

But two blocks away, supporters of the center scrawled chalk messages affirming Park51's right to exist and gathered Wednesday to wave signs defending the plan........read more