News/Commentary

NYC heightens security for New Year’s Eve bash in anticipation of possible pro-Palestine activities

December 30, 2023 | | Print Article

The New York Police Department is reportedly stepping up security in preparation for possible pro-Palestinian protesters hijacking the city’s New Year’s Eve festivities in Times Square.

According to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, the city is unaware of any “specific threats” at the moment but is preparing anyway.

“There are no specific threats to the city, but as we saw last year, you don’t have to have a specific threat to get a threat, and we’re going to be ready,” he said at a press conference Friday.

Last year, a man reportedly attacked three NYPD officers with a machete in Times Square.

Despite there being no specific threats, pro-Palestinian groups have been calling for protests in Times Square for weeks now. And considering previous protests that disrupted major city events — such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade — numbered in the thousands, the city is prepared for anything.

“We’re prepared for them in any number,” Assistant NYPD Chief John Hart explained to the New York Daily News. “We’re prepared for different groups from different places, and we will make sure this event stays safe.”

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Assistant NYPD Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, the police plan to use “the same blueprint” that was applied when protesters interrupted the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting last month.

“We’re going to have tow trucks strategically parked along the actual New Year’s Eve festivities, and we’re going to have drones deployed around the outer perimeter so we can monitor the protests, potential protests that are coming in real time,” he said.

Continuing his remarks at Friday’s presser, Adams added that the police have a hell of a challenge ahead of them given how many people plan to attend the city’s New Year’s Eve festivities.

“It’s a real Herculean task to manage that number of people without being heavy-handed but being protective, and we’re sure there’s gonna be some type of attempt this year [to interrupt the event],” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He also said the police are analyzing their response from last year to improve their tactics this year.

“There’s something that’s known in policing, particularly when there’s terrorist action of secondary devices and things like they want to draw attention from one area to another. We’re really exercising our mental muscles to make sure that does not happen,” he explained.

The mayor did admit though that the police are now at an advantage because of a court settlement from September between the city and several 2020 Black Lives Matter protesters who’d alleged their First Amendment rights had been violated.

“The New York City Police Department agreed [as per the settlement] to scale back its enforcement of street protests like those that erupted after the death of George Floyd in 2020, enacting a series of reforms including banning the tactic known as ‘kettling,'” Reuters reported at the time of the agreement.

“Police will also create a new senior executive role to oversee responses to demonstrations, allow the press more leeway to cover marches, and create a four-tiered response to protests designed to de-escalate conflict and prevent excessive use of force.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Adams complained that the city’s response to any protests will now be hampered because of the settlement.

“The Police Department … [has] to be extremely more hesitant in actions that they would have carried out in the past to keep the peace,” he said at a press conference.

“I did not agree with the concept of those changes. I pushed back hard … I thought it put us on a very troubling direction,” he added.

The only potential good news is that this year, a group known as the Times Square Alliance is working with the NYPD, as well as with private security and federal authorities, to prepare for anything and everything.

ADVERTISEMENT

“If you’re going to come and try to disrupt the event, you’re probably not gonna be successful, and if you are, you’re gonna be arrested, so stay home and protest someplace else,” Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris told CBS News.

Furthermore, thousands of NYPD officers will reportedly be patrolling back in uniform and out of uniform.

“The variety of tools, whether robots, drones, bomb-sniffing dogs, all those things are in play,” former NYPD deputy commissioner Richard Esposito said.

“They’re gonna be on alert for something different than we’ve had in the past, but they are mostly concerned that the people who go out, enjoy their night, and they want to keep the protests and the freedom of speech from interfering with other people’s freedom of enjoying themselves,” he added.

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles