NEW YORK (AP) - To the protesters, it's Guantanamo on the Hudson. Police prefer the acronym PASS, though no one gets one.

Either way, the dilapidated, hulking pier on the Hudson River in Manhattan has become a landmark of sorts in the clash between activists and authorities at the Republican National Convention.

Some protesters have complained bitterly about conditions at the temporary holding area set up by police at Pier 57 in Chelsea for processing convention-related arrests. One former detainee, Andrew Lynn, claimed he was held there for hours on end in "Guantanamo-style pens" -- a reference to the U.S. military facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Police officials insist their Post Arrest Screening Site allows them to safely and promptly process mass arrests and avoid overwhelming neighborhood stationhouses.

Commissioner Raymond Kelly has dismissed complaints about conditions, including questions about asbestos. Testing done Monday night found no problems with air quality, he said.

"There have been some exaggerated claims and outright falsehoods," Kelly said.

Lies and exaggeration from protesters?

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.