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NYC Locks Down Midtown as UN Assembly Draws Nearly 200 Nations
(MENAFN) Midtown Manhattan has ground to a near-standstill this week as barricades and traffic gridlock take hold across the city, which is managing the massive security and logistical demands of hosting delegates from nearly 200 countries for the UN General Assembly's high-level session, now underway through Sept. 28.
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) designated Sept. 21-25 as Gridlock Alert Days, cautioning that average Midtown traffic speeds could drop below 4 miles per hour for the duration of the Assembly. Officials are urging residents and visitors to rely on public transit instead.
Multiple major avenues surrounding the UN complex have been closed to vehicles, along with stretches of the highway running along the East River, while rolling street closures continue as foreign delegations shuttle between venues.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has described this year's security operation as among the most complex the department has ever mounted. The Secret Service, FBI and UN police are operating alongside city officers, backed by more than 20 federal, state and local agencies. A temporary flight restriction is also in effect over New York, barring unauthorized drones, with NYPD counter-drone units deployed to intercept violations.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York remains "always a target," especially with thousands of international representatives gathered in one place, adding that the city has coordinated closely with federal authorities to safeguard both visitors and residents.
Tisch said police are bracing for multiple demonstrations daily throughout the Assembly, and that the department will facilitate peaceful protest activity while responding firmly to violence, property destruction or other legal violations.
Protest activity is expected to intensify ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the General Assembly on Thursday. Netanyahu remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the Gaza war. Mayor Mamdani, speaking to CNN on Monday, renewed his call for the warrant to be enforced, while conceding that New York City lacks the independent legal authority to carry it out.
On Thursday, Jewish and Israeli-American organizations plan to gather at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza to protest Netanyahu's policies, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, accountability for alleged war crimes, and a future of justice and peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, organizers said.
Iranian-American groups are also holding rallies Tuesday and Wednesday near UN headquarters, with organizers calling for political change in Iran.
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) designated Sept. 21-25 as Gridlock Alert Days, cautioning that average Midtown traffic speeds could drop below 4 miles per hour for the duration of the Assembly. Officials are urging residents and visitors to rely on public transit instead.
Multiple major avenues surrounding the UN complex have been closed to vehicles, along with stretches of the highway running along the East River, while rolling street closures continue as foreign delegations shuttle between venues.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has described this year's security operation as among the most complex the department has ever mounted. The Secret Service, FBI and UN police are operating alongside city officers, backed by more than 20 federal, state and local agencies. A temporary flight restriction is also in effect over New York, barring unauthorized drones, with NYPD counter-drone units deployed to intercept violations.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York remains "always a target," especially with thousands of international representatives gathered in one place, adding that the city has coordinated closely with federal authorities to safeguard both visitors and residents.
Tisch said police are bracing for multiple demonstrations daily throughout the Assembly, and that the department will facilitate peaceful protest activity while responding firmly to violence, property destruction or other legal violations.
Protest activity is expected to intensify ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the General Assembly on Thursday. Netanyahu remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the Gaza war. Mayor Mamdani, speaking to CNN on Monday, renewed his call for the warrant to be enforced, while conceding that New York City lacks the independent legal authority to carry it out.
On Thursday, Jewish and Israeli-American organizations plan to gather at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza to protest Netanyahu's policies, demanding an end to the war in Gaza, accountability for alleged war crimes, and a future of justice and peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, organizers said.
Iranian-American groups are also holding rallies Tuesday and Wednesday near UN headquarters, with organizers calling for political change in Iran.
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