Police warned that “heightened surveillance” is necessary during this year’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center, according to an internal New York Police Department memo obtained by The Post on Tuesday, as protesters pro Palestinians announced that they planned to “flood” the iconic event in support of Gaza.
The memo notes that there are no “specific or credible” threats directed at the world-renowned annual event, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of revelers to Midtown on Wednesday.
But the threat assessment notice noted that mass gatherings and high-profile events like the ceremony, hosted this year by singer Kelly Clarkson, could be easy targets for “malicious actors” seeking to do harm during the holiday season.
Since the bloody October 7 attack launched by Hamas against Israel, “a variety of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) have persistently called for broad attacks against US interests,” the NYPD said in the memo.
While such propaganda alone is not a reliable cause for alarm, such “incitements” can “resonate” among “homegrown violent extremists based in the United States” and “mobilize some to action, requiring increased vigilance.” during the Christmas season, he warned.
Tree lighting and similar holiday events could be easy targets for “malicious actors,” the memo said. AP
The notice came just as the Palestinian-led community organization Within Our Lifetime, responsible for several other recent demonstrations in the city, announced its plans to discontinue tree-lighting festivities.
The organization encouraged its followers to “flood the lighting of the Gaza tree,” noting that this year’s ceremony coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, recognized by the UN.
“Homegrown violent extremists” could be mobilized to take action during the holiday season, the memo said. AP
“This year, the 13 official churches of Jerusalem + the Municipality of Bethlehem itself have called to suspend Christmas celebrations as a sign of mourning for the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the group captioned an Instagram post featuring the flyer. protest.
“Join interfaith groups to honor the call of Christians in Palestine to spend this Christmas season opposing the genocide of Palestinians being carried out in our name with our tax dollars,” he said.
The majestic 80-foot-tall, 43-foot-wide evergreen tree will be illuminated for the first time during the ceremony from 8 to 10 p.m. at Rockefeller Plaza, heralding the start of the holiday season in the Big Apple.
The tree lighting falls less than a week after police said 34 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested for disrupting the high-profile Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an incident the NYPD noted in its new memo.
The NYPD memo was released as a pro-Palestinian organization announced plans to “flood tree lighting in Gaza.” wolpalestina/ Instagram
According to the NYPD, four people were arrested and charged with crimes including obstruction of government administration, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, harassment and resisting arrest.
The other 30, whose names were not released, were issued summonses to appear in criminal court, police said.
The most dramatic display by anti-Israel protesters came when they taped their hands in the middle of Sixth Avenue and covered themselves in fake blood, briefly stopping the 97th annual parade.
A Brooklyn police officer told The Post on Tuesday that officers “need to enforce the law” in case disruptors interfere with the lighting of the family tree in a similar manner.
The tree lighting comes less than a week after pro-Palestinian protesters stopped the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Deccio Serrano/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
“This is a family event with kids,” the source said. “They shouldn’t be afraid.”
The memo also noted that “ideologically unaffiliated malicious actors” also tend to strike during the holidays, pointing to the lone arsonist who allegedly set fire to the Christmas tree in front of the News Corp building that houses the offices of Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. in December 2021.
The firefighter, identified as Craig Tamanaha, used a lighter and possibly accelerants to cause about $500,000 in property damage to the artificial tree, located outside a heavily patrolled, tourist-filled corner near Rockefeller Center, law enforcement sources said at the time. .
He was released after his arraignment because his charges were not eligible for bail under new soft crime reform laws.
The NYPD issued a similar memo calling for surveillance ahead of the annual Halloween parade in the West Village.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn