Protesters object to ongoing work at East River Park

East River Park construction controversy

Activists are trying to halt work on New York City's controversial East Side Coastal Resiliency Project.

NEW YORK - Activists armed with signs and printouts of court orders stood outside construction gates at Manhattan's East River Park. They attempted to halt construction on the city's controversial East Side Coastal Resiliency Project for the fifth day in a row.

However, crews continued preliminary work despite their presence.

"Two cherry pickers at a time, they would take down two trees at a time, bring in the chainsaws and the claws that push over the trees," one protester described.

The $1.5 billion coastal protection initiative, funded in part by the federal government, will rebuild the existing park as a flood barrier by 2026. The plan isn't sitting well with thousands of people who call the neighborhood home.

"This park means everything to us. This is a low-income area," Tonto Cabrera told Fox 5 News. "We don't have summer houses, we don't have winter houses."

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Demonstrators filed a lawsuit against the city and claim to have gotten a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals last week.

A spokesperson from the city's Legal Department said he has reviewed the court's order and doesn't believe it prevents work from continuing.

A Court of Appeals hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 16. City officials plan to explain why what they're doing is legal and consistent with the law.

Protests over East Side Coastal Resiliency Project at East River Park

The plan is meant to protect the park from flooding caused by climate change, but it involves cutting down trees inside the park.