NEW YORK (AP) — The confetti has been examined for airiness. The large numerals – 2 0 2 4 – are in position. And the luminous ball, bedazzled with 2,688 crystal triangles, is fastened to the pole from which it makes its 60-second descent at 11:59 p.m.
With throngs of revelers set to usher within the new yr beneath the brilliant lighting of Times Square, officers and organizers say they’re ready to welcome the crowds and make sure their protection.
At a safety briefing Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams mentioned there have been “no specific threats” to the annual New Year’s Eve bash, which is anticipated to draw tens of hundreds of other folks to the guts of midtown Manhattan on Sunday.
The celebrity-filled tournament will come with reside performances from Flo Rida, Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J, in addition to televised appearances from Cardi B and others. Organizers mentioned in-person attendance is anticipated to go back to pre-COVID ranges, whilst foot site visitors round Times Square stays down rather for the reason that pandemic.
Amid near-daily protests in New York sparked through combating between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, police mentioned they’d enlarge the safety perimeter across the birthday celebration, making a “buffer zone” that can permit them to head off doable demonstrations.
Pro-Palestinian marches have disrupted fresh occasions in New York, together with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the ceremonial lighting fixtures of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
“We will be out here with our canines, on horseback, our helicopters, our boats,” Adams mentioned. Officials may even track protests with drones, he mentioned. “But as we saw last year, after having no specific threats, we get a threat.”
During closing yr’s New Year’s Eve birthday celebration, a machete-wielding guy attacked 3 law enforcement officials a couple of blocks from Times Square.
On Saturday, as organizers practiced elevating and decreasing the long-lasting ball, Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris mentioned he used to be assured the painstaking arrangements would give a contribution to a continuing evening.
“The star of the show just had a dress rehearsal and performed marvelously,” he mentioned. “I’m confident that everything is going to go fantastic in Times Square tomorrow night.”
His recommendation for the ones making plans to attend the countdown: “Come early.”