LA cemetery welcomes Michael Jackson fans, bans doves

Michael Jackson fans will be allowed to leave flowers near the singer's burial site on Friday's anniversary of his death, but the cemetery has banned balloons, candles and doves.

Forest Lawn cemetery in the Los Angeles area said on Wednesday that only family members and designated guests would be allowed inside the Renaissance-style mausoleum where Jackson's body was laid to rest.

But the cemetery placed no numerical limits on the numbers of fans wanting to pay their respects and leave flowers on a nearby outdoor terrace.

With no official public events in Los Angeles marking the June 25, 2009 death of the "Thriller" singer, the cemetery, local police and fan clubs have been negotiating for weeks for public access to Jackson's resting place.

Forest Lawn said it was expecting "significant" numbers of visitors throughout the day. It reserved the right to throw out fans making too much noise or behaving in what it considered a disrespectful manner.

A list of items not permitted included "doves, web broadcasting, video cameras, candles, balloons, spinners, statues, posters, incense and radios".

The biggest single Jackson event on Friday is likely to be at the family hometown of Gary, Indiana. Mayor Rudy Clay said Wednesday that Jackson's mother Katherine would unveil a monument to her son in front of the small house where the Jackson 5 singing brothers were raised.

It will be followed by a memorial, a candlelight vigil and a performance of the hit song "We are the World," and the event is being thrown open to all.

Jackson died age 50 in Los Angeles of an overdose of sedatives, painkillers and the powerful anesthetic propofol just days before a series of planned comeback shows in London.

His personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and is awaiting trial.