Hundreds of activists have rallied in front of Donald Trump's hotel in midtown New York City to condemn the Republican 2016 presidential candidate's call to bar Muslims temporarily from entering the US.
Chanting "Dump Trump" and "refugees welcome", the protesters castigated Trump's comments.
"We are not asking for any favours," Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York told the crowd on Thursday. "We are asking for the basic respect and dignity that we all deserve here in the United States of America."
Trump's statement, which has drawn widespread criticism both at home and abroad, came in response to the deadly shootings in San Bernardino, California, last week, in which a married Muslim couple described as "radicalised" by authorities killed 14 people.
On Thursday, Trump cancelled a planned trip to Israel amid the uproar.
Trump said on Twitter he would meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "at a later date after I become president of the US".
Trump told Fox News he postponed the trip because he did not want to put pressure on Netanyahu, who faced demands from Israeli politicians to call off the planned December 28 meeting.
"I also did it because I'm in the midst of a very powerful campaign that's going very well and it (the trip) was not that easy to do," said Trump, a real estate mogul and former reality TV star who leads opinion polls in the Republican nominating race for the November 2016 election.
Some protesters said Trump's comments, while more explicit, were not that far removed from statements by other politicians calling for restrictions on Syrian refugees who want to settle in the US.
Others warned that Trump's divisive remarks were only intensifying a wave of Islamophobia.
"The damage he's done is already very significant," said Skanda Kadirgamar, 27, citing reports of increased threats against Muslims. "Donald Trump is here to pour gasoline on to those fires."
Some Muslims at the rally said they feared attacks and discrimination would increase in the wake of the shootings, much as they did following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaeda.
Amira Kariem, 16, said her father forced her mother to stop wearing her head scarf for two weeks following those attacks, while her friend, Iman Sahel, 17, said her aunt was pushed to the ground.
"There are people who are just like him," Sahel said of Trump.
A lone Trump supporter stood off to the side of the protest, holding up signs that said "We Want Trump" and "No More Syrians".
The rally's speakers included Hussam Al Roustom, a Syrian refugee who arrived in New Jersey four months ago after fleeing the war-torn city of Homs.
"Islam is the religion of peace," he said. "Islam is not terrorism."
The uproar did not stop the New England Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents 5000 law enforcement officers, from voting to endorse him on Thursday night.
Appearing in New Hampshire, the crucial early primary state, Trump thanked the organisation, which represents 1000 New Hampshire officers, for their support.
In Britain, a petition demanding that Trump be banned from visiting the UK had gained more than 450,000 signatures on Thursday and was still growing.
Trump responded on Twitter with a broadside at Britain, saying "many people in the UK agree with me.
"The United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem," he said. "Everybody is wise to what is happening, very sad! Be honest."
Meanwhile a Dubai real estate firm building a $US6 billion ($A8.23 billion) golf complex with Trump, who has extensive business dealings in the Middle East, has stripped the property of his name and image amid the uproar over the comments.
DAMAC Properties initially said it would stand by Trump, even as another of the billionaire's Middle East partners, the Lifestyle chain of department stores, halted sales of his "Trump Home" line of lamps, mirrors and jewellery boxes in protest.
