Animal rights activists protesting outside Liam Neeson's home say they do not agree with him that New York's carriage horses should keep working.

Neeson did not appear as about 50 demonstrators filled the pavement in front of his Manhattan apartment building. They held signs with such slogans as: "Liam Neeson: Stop Supporting Cruelty!"

The 61-year-old actor is a vocal supporter of the city's carriage horse industry.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to ban the horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric vintage-style cars, commissioned by a group called NYCLASS.

Its members joined protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Saturday.

They say it is inhumane for the horses to be subjected to traffic, pollution and possible accidents.