The NYPD will probably be out “in full force” to guard the 1000’s anticipated to attend Sunday’s Israel Day Parade in Midtown, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned Friday.
“There’ll be more security at this parade than any other parade,” Tisch mentioned on Fox 5’s Good Day New York Friday morning, including that investigators have discovered no credible threats towards the parade or parade goers.
New York’s Israel Day Parade is the “largest celebration of its kind outside of Israel,” mentioned Tisch.
That is the second Israel Day parade because the Hamas terrorist assault towards Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Final 12 months, greater than 40,000 individuals turned out to be a part of the celebration.
Former Gaza hostages are anticipated to march on this 12 months’s parade down Fifth Ave., organizers mentioned.
The NYPD is anticipating pro-Palestinian demonstrations towards Israel because the parade kicks off.
“We believe that we are prepared for anything that comes our way,” Tisch mentioned.
For the reason that Hamas assaults, pro-Palestinian protesters have demonstrated on native college campuses and tried to interrupt different high-profile occasions within the metropolis, together with the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Heart.
On Thursday, eight individuals had been arrested following a pro-Palestinian protest in Union Sq. Park. One of many protesters was arrested after he climbed a statue of George Washington and refused to return down.
“Some of the actions we saw [Thursday] will not be tolerated and won’t be accepted,” Mayor Adams mentioned relating to the anticipated protests throughout a Friday press convention on parade safety plans alongside Tisch at police headquarters.
“Last year there were a number of voices that stated we should not hold a parade, but we refused to succumb to those who want the city to live in fear,” Adams mentioned.
An enormous uniformed presence, police helicopters and drones will probably be seen all through the parade route alongside Fifth Ave. in Midtown, which will probably be closed at varied factors. Main arteries to the parade route will probably be blocked with barricades and sanitation vans.
Each particular person coming to the parade route will probably be screened, Tisch mentioned at Friday’s press convention.
“We will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt this event or endanger those who come to celebrate,” she mentioned.
