Pro-Palestine protesters march on midtown as NYPD steps up security in Times Square for New Year’s Eve countdown

Pro-Palestinian protesters march through New York City on New Year's Eve after Mayor Eric Adams said he had the NYPD willing to increase security ahead of celebrations in Times Square.

Groups had declared their intention to protest in Times Square against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which had already disrupted the Thanksgiving Day parade and the lighting of Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree.

At least one group was seen marching from 59th Street all the way to 45th and 5th Avenue, just a block away from where the ball will drop at midnight.

The demonstrators sang the infamous “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” chant that has been denounced as anti-Semitic by members of both parties in Congress and by the Anti-Defamation League.

The demonstrators – suggested by one reporter to have numbered as many as 3,000 – also echoed left-wing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

While no safety risks have been identified associated with the festivities in the heart of Manhattan, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is taking precautions.

Mayor Adams, along with top NYPD officials, held a press conference Friday afternoon in which they emphasized their continued vigilance due to previous incidents, such as an attack on NYPD officers during the Times Square ball drop last year.

“There are no specific threats to the city, but as we saw last year, you don't have to have a specific threat to have a threat, and we will be ready,” the mayor said.

“Hundreds of thousands of people will be queuing here, and no matter how many times we see it, you never get used to it, the excitement continues again and again,” he said.

Times Square will be closed from around noon on New Year's Eve and anyone wishing to enter the area must pass through police and security checkpoints.

It comes after protesters, calling for a ceasefire as 21,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, disrupted all the city's major celebrations and parades since the October attacks.

Assistant Chief John Hart emphasized the department's preparedness for groups of varying sizes and origins of protests.

Other pro-Palestinian protests in the city over the past few months have drawn between 1,000 and 5,000 people.

“We are prepared for them in any number,” Hart said. “We are prepared for different groups from different places and we will ensure this event remains safe.”

Adams, a Democrat, conceded that it was likely that protesters would try to cause disruption in Times Square, where more than a million people were expected to gather at midnight to celebrate.

One protester, Katie Unger, referenced preparing for the celebration in a post on X when she marched a few days ago.

“They're celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square. We are here to insist that the people of Gaza and Palestine also have the right to a prosperous, peaceful New Year.”

The Times Square Alliance works with the NYPD, private security companies and federal authorities to keep the area safe.

“Like any good Broadway show, we rehearse everything to make sure there are no problems before opening night,” said Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance.

Chairman Tom Harris said: “If you come and try to disrupt the event you probably won't be successful, and if you do you will be arrested.

'So stay home and protest somewhere else.'

On Wednesday, police arrested pro-Palestinian protesters blocking access to New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

Travelers were forced to get out of their cars and walk with their luggage to the airport in New York after activists demanding a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas blocked the road to one of the country's largest and busiest airports had blocked.

Video shows protesters joining hands to create a line blocking traffic, holding signs calling for a free Palestine and chanting, “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.” '

Port Authority police arrest the protesters, load them onto an airport bus and take them into custody.

Thousands of police officers are expected to patrol Times Square along with a combination of robots, drones and sniffer dogs to ensure the security of the event.

“We will have tow trucks strategically parked along the actual New Year's Eve celebrations, and we will have drones deployed around the outer perimeter so that we can monitor the protests, potential protests that are coming in real time,” he added. Assistant NYPD Commissioner Kaz Daughtry.

With crowds of revelers expected to show up in Times Square for the festivities, even the smallest details shouldn't be overlooked, says Jeff Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment.

That includes the 2-by-2-inch pieces of paper that will flutter to the ground at the stroke of midnight on Sunday.

“This is quite a process,” Straus said. 'We had to feel the confetti. We have to blow it up. We have to make it float.'

While the test may have been more promotional than practical, the actual release of New Year's confetti – which has been part of the event since 1992 – remains a labor-intensive operation.

An estimated 3,000 pounds of confetti are shipped into downtown Manhattan each year and then onto the rooftops of office buildings overlooking Times Square.

About a hundred volunteer 'distribution engineers' then deposit the load on the street to ring in the new year.

Besides the confetti, there were a lot of other preparations going on for the party, which runs until after midnight on Sunday evening at 6 p.m.

Behind the '2024' light display that arrived this week, the glittering crystal ball was set to undergo its own test drop on Saturday.