Gawkers at Ruins Told Not to Use Cameras

The gawkers who have gathered each day at the ruins of the World Trade Center have been banned from taking photographs or video of the scene.

A statement from the mayor’s office said the ban was issued because the site is a crime scene. Officer Michael DiFrancisco, standing guard at a barricade, said the photo ban also was “out of respect for the families and all those concerned.”

Mayoral spokeswoman Sunny Mindel said the ban does not affect news photographers.

“It doesn’t affect anybody who is authorized. Obviously, a news organization, that’s their job,” she said. “What we’ve got is people on the site taking pictures, selling them, using it as a tourist site.”