Among those winning approval was a coalition of labor unions that plans to rally outside the convention site, Madison Square Garden, during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering.

Late Wednesday, police announced permits granted to groups including the Christian Defense Coalition, Planned Parenthood, the Middle East Peace Coalition and People for the American Way, among others. The groups' demonstrations, prayer vigils and rallies would be held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.

Police and United for Peace and Justice, which has held several anti-war demonstrations attracting millions of people, met Monday. The group was scheduled to meet with police again on Friday to discuss an Aug. 29 rally and march for 250,000 people, group spokesman Bill Dobbs said.

Authorities said they were trying to balance protesters' demands for access with city concerns about terrorism, traffic and unauthorized protests.

The process "takes a lot of negotiation," police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

The rally location became a sticking point after the city declared Central Park off-limits. Police have offered Manhattan's West Side Highway instead, but the group says the highway can be accessed only from one direction and would be sweltering in August.

The Central Labor Council won permission to rally on Sept. 1 in a demonstration area that runs south on Eighth Avenue starting at the arena's southwest corner. The group expects to draw tens of thousands of protesters who believe "George Bush's policies are bad for working people," chairman Brian McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said he was satisfied with the permit process, including a decision by police to prohibit worker marches that would have emptied into the rally site.

"We're sensitive to their concerns," he said. "It's a high-risk area."

Other groups that applied for permits include the anti-war groups Not In Our Name and Code Pink-Women for Peace, the Green Party and the National Council of Arab Americans.

The Great Lawn in Central Park, Times Square, Union Square, the Brooklyn Bridge and Riverside Park are among the locations requested for events that could start as early as Aug. 22.