Leaders of New York's Muslim community have boycotted Mayor Michael Bloomberg's annual interfaith breakfast in protest against systematic government spying on their community.

They say the New York police's infiltration of mosques and monitoring of other aspects of their community is a flagrant violation of their civil rights, and some leaders now advise their entire congregation not to speak with the police without a lawyer present.

Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New York.