STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Occupy Wall Street protesters plan to gather on Port Richmond Avenue today before heading to a rally in Manhattan.

They are scheduled to rally at 2:30 p.m. in front of 479 Port Richmond Ave., near Catherine Street. The protesters eventually plan to board buses for Manhattan.

Business owners in the area are not sure what to expect but they are monitoring the situation and are prepared to shut down their stores for safety if needed, said Dennis Alestra, president of the Port Richmond Board of Trade.

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"I’m waiting to see if it starts to get hairy down here, and I might batten down the hatches," Alestra said if it looks like the protest may become anything but peaceful.

Right now there is no one on the street, but Alestra is ready to alert his neighbors if trouble arises.

Another group will also be occupying the St. George Ferry Terminal at the same time.

That group will then take the ferry to Manhattan and march to Foley Square where they will meet other protesters.

The movement is planning to stage Occupy rallies in all five boroughs today, and a large number of them are planning to march from City Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge, according to an e-mail sent to the Advance.