As Iran's polarizing president prepares to visit the United Nations and Columbia University in New York City, a local lawmaker is speaking out in protest.

State Sen. Jeff Klein, joined by Rep. Anthony Weiner, rallied near the UN Sunday to call for the state and city to divest all pension funds from Iran. Klein said Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit is inappropriate.

However, others believe the leader should be heard. "He is one of the most important people in the world right now and I would love the opportunity to hear him speak," a Columbia student said.

Ahmadinejad will speak at Columbia University and the United Nations. However, city officials denied his request to lay a wreath at Ground Zero. The Bush administration has accused the leader of helping militants target U.S. troops in Iraq.

Ahmadinejad has also been criticized for calling the Holocaust a myth.