Pro-Palestinian protesters march through New York City on New Year's Eve after Mayor Eric Adams said he had prepared the NYPD to increase security ahead of celebrations in Times Square.
Groups had expressed their intention to protest in Times Square against Israel's military operation in Gaza, which had already disrupted the Thanksgiving parade and the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
At Macy's in Herald Square, at least one protester set off a bright red smoke bomb and were allowed to take a tour of the famous department store before escorting it.
At least one group was spotted marching from 59th Street to 45th and 5th Avenue, just a block from where the ball will drop at midnight.
Protesters chanted the infamous slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which was condemned as anti-Semitic by members of both parties in Congress and the Anti-Defamation League.
NOW: A protester set off a red smoke bomb at Macy's in Herald Square
The demonstrators were able to walk almost a full circle around the ground floor before police escorted them out of the building pic.twitter.com/GVBEa9AsDV
– Katie Smith (@probablyreadit) December 31, 2023
Pro-Palestinian protesters march through New York City on New Year's Eve after Mayor Eric Adams said he had prepared the NYPD to increase security ahead of celebrations in Times Square
The protesters – one reporter estimated the number at up to 3,000 – also reiterated the left's calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Several protesters targeted Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, an ardent pro-Israel congressman.
“Ritchie Torres: Blood on your hands! Stop funding genocide!” and “Money for the Bronx, not for the war” declared two characters.
The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as increasing tensions in parts of the world, are impacting this year's New Year's Eve celebrations in many ways.
The group Shut it Down for Palestine appeared to be behind at least some of Sunday's protests.
An announcement on its website said: “We must continue to build momentum and increase pressure through more marches, walkouts, sit-ins and other forms of direct action targeting the political offices, companies and workplaces that finance, invest, and colluding with the Israeli genocide and occupation.'
Their march was part of their call for an “international call to action” for Palestinians during New Year's Eve celebrations.
Several protesters were seen chanting pro-Houthi sentiments at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
A police spokesman told on Sunday that there had been no protest-related arrests when we contacted the NYPD late Sunday evening
Many cities implemented additional security measures, and some places canceled New Year's Eve events entirely, prompting marches to take place across the country.
In New Jersey, a 180-car caravan themed “Wheels of Palestine” traveled from Paterson to Teaneck, which Haaretz declared in 2018 the “most Jewish city in New Jersey.”
According to Fox 32, protesters in Chicago closed I-90 and I-94 after marching down Michigan Avenue.
According to KCRA, streets in the California capital of Sacramento were also closed due to protests.
Amid near-daily protests in New York sparked by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, police said they would expand the security perimeter around the party and create a “buffer zone” that would allow them to contain possible demonstrations to ward off.
Several protesters targeted Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, an ardent pro-Israel congressman
The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as increasing tensions in parts of the world, are impacting this year's New Year's Eve celebrations in many ways
The group Shut it Down for Palestine appeared to be behind at least some of Sunday's protests
“We’ll be out here with our dogs, on horseback, with our helicopters, with our boats,” Adams said.
Although no security threats have been identified in connection with the celebrations in the heart of Manhattan, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is taking precautions.
Mayor Adams held a press conference alongside senior NYPD officials on Friday afternoon, emphasizing their continued vigilance due to previous incidents, such as an attack on NYPD officers during the ball drop in Times Square 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 lining up out here and no matter how many times we see it, you never get used to it, the excitement stays over and over again,” he said.
Officials would also monitor the protests using drones, he added. “But as we saw last year, we are getting a threat after we had no concrete threats.”
During last year's New Year's Eve party, a man with a machete attacked three police officers a few blocks from Times Square.
Times Square will be closed from around 12 noon on New Year's Eve and anyone wanting to enter the area will have to go through police checkpoints and security checkpoints.
Although no security threats have been identified in connection with the celebrations in the heart of Manhattan, the New York Police Department (NYPD) is taking precautions
Officials will also monitor the protests with drones, Adams added. “But as we saw last year, we are getting a threat after there were no concrete threats.”
This comes after protesters demanding a ceasefire as 21,000 Palestinians were killed in the fight between Israel and Hamas disrupted all of the city's major celebrations and parades since the October attacks.
Deputy Chief John Hart emphasized the ministry's willingness to allow groups of different sizes and origins to take part in the protests.
Other pro-Palestinian protests in the city in recent months have drawn between 1,000 and 5,000 people.
“We are fully prepared for them,” Hart said. “We are prepared for different groups from different locations and will ensure this event remains safe.”
Adams, a Democrat, acknowledged that it was likely that protesters would try to disrupt Times Square, where more than a million people were expected to gather at midnight to celebrate.
One protester, Katie Unger, referenced preparations for the celebration in a post on X when she marched a few days ago.
“They're getting ready to go to Times Square to celebrate New Year's Eve. 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 has partnered with the NYPD, private security firms and federal agencies to keep the area safe.
Mayor Eric Adams said security would be increased in New York City's Times Square on New Year's Eve
The NYPD is deploying thousands of police officers, both uniformed and plainclothes, in Times Square on New Year's Eve to avoid disruption. The picture shows last year's celebrations
Road closures on New Year's Eve will begin at 4 a.m. and later the roads will be closed at 11 a.m
Security measures are even stricter near Times Square
“Like any good Broadway show, we rehearse everything to make sure there are no problems on opening night,” said Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance.
Its president, Tom Harris, said: “If you come and try to disrupt the event, you probably won’t succeed, and if you do, you will be arrested.”
“So stay home and protest somewhere else.”
On Wednesday, police arrested pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked access to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Travelers in New York had to get out of their cars and walk to the airport with their luggage after activists calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war blocked the road to one of the country's largest and busiest airports.
Video shows protesters joining together to form a line blocking traffic while holding signs calling for a free Palestine and chanting: “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”
Port Authority police are seen arresting the protesters, loading them onto an airport bus and taking them into custody.
Thousands of police officers, along with a combination of robots, drones and sniffer dogs, are expected to patrol the Times Square area to ensure the security of the event.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a New Year's Eve security briefing in Times Square on Friday
New York police are increasing security for the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square amid fears that pro-Palestine protesters could disrupt the ball
Protesters, dressed in black and holding hooded dolls, stage a silent demonstration for children killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza
This comes after protesters demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas disrupted the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Police arrested 26 pro-Palestinian protesters blocking access to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Wednesday – one of the busiest travel days of the year
“We're going to have tow trucks parked strategically along the actual New Year's Eve festivities and we're going to have drones stationed around the perimeter so we can monitor the protests, potential protests that are coming, in real time,” added NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry.
With throngs of revelers expected to flock to Times Square for the festivities, even the smallest details can't be overlooked, said Jeff Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment.
This includes the 2 x 2 inch pieces of paper that will flutter to the floor at midnight on Sunday.
“It’s a whole process,” Straus said. “We need to feel the confetti.” We need to lighten it up. “We have to make sure it floats.”
Although the test was more promotional than practical, the actual introduction of New Year's confetti, which has been part of the event since 1992, remains a labor-intensive process.
Confetti will be released at a pre-New Year's Eve confetti test in Times Square on Friday
Confetti will be released during a pre-New Year's Eve test in Times Square on Friday
An estimated 3,000 pounds of confetti are trucked into midtown Manhattan each year and then carried onto the roofs of office buildings overlooking Times Square.
About a hundred volunteer “dispersal engineers” then drop the loot on the street below to ring in the New Year.
In addition to the confetti, numerous other preparations were made for the celebration, which lasts from Sunday evening at 6 p.m. until after midnight.
The glittering crystal ball that sits behind the “2024” light display that arrived this week was due to undergo its own test case on Saturday.