MANHATTAN (WABC) — New York City is preparing for heightened security, road closures and heavy traffic as world leaders arrive next week for the United Nations General Assembly.
Officials expect leaders from Iran, Israel and Ukraine to be among those gathering in the city as the annual diplomatic session gets underway Monday. Motorcades traveling through Manhattan are expected to cause traffic disruptions, particularly around the East Side, while security measures will be intensified throughout the week.
A major focus is expected to be the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the possibility of protests during his visit to the United States. The issue has drawn added attention after Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said he had explored whether Netanyahu could be arrested on war crimes allegations but ultimately concluded there were no legal grounds to do so. The matter has raised concerns within the Israeli government ahead of the visit.
Asked about potential demonstrations, Mamdani emphasized that residents have a right to protest.
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“I have never encouraged them to protest. What I have told them is they have the right to do that in this city, we respect that right…This is a city that is proud of the Constitution and the First Amendment and is proud to do so.”
City officials are expected to provide additional details on security preparations during a news conference with the mayor and police commissioner scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Eyewitness News spoke with Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Services’ New York Field Office on Wednesday.
“Anybody that thinks they’re going to disrupt one of our motorcades is going to find themselves in jail very quickly,” he said. “Regardless of what’s going on in the world, there are wars, there are disagreements, there is political divisiveness. Countries and leaders can come here and have a safe and secure environment,” McCool said.
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