Yesterday after more than seven years of protest and delays, Bruce Ratner and supporters of the Atlantic Yards project broke ground on the Barclays Center, a home for the New Jersey Nets.

Many of Ratner’s political supporters were there: Paterson, Bloomberg and Markowitz are pictured with shovels. Even Jay-Z (who owns a small part of the Nets) held a shovel.

More than 100 protesters from Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn were also on hand.

The Barclay’s Center is just the first part of Ratner’s proposed 16 tower development, that is opposed by many in Brooklyn.

The arena is set to open in 2012, which sounds awfully soon. It seats 19,000 basketball fans.