NEW YORK (WABC) — Protests and celebrations have erupted in New York City after the strikes in Iran.
Some are praising the decision to kill the leader of Iran, some say it’s overstepping.
Monday, people supporting regime change in Iran gathered in Times Square. Others protesting the war in Iran held demonstrations in Columbus Circle.
Video from both groups shows people dancing, holding signs and chanting.
Tuesday marks the Jewish holiday of Purim, and the NYPD is deploying extra resources to Jewish sites and neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
Meanwhile, in Israel, many are celebrating inside bomb shelters as strikes continue.
Governor Kathy Hochul commented on the strikes Monday, saying the attack on Iran could make New York a potential target.
“There could be retaliation from these efforts, and not just on the fields in Iran and the Middle East, we are a vulnerable state, we have a very vulnerable target in New York City, we’ve known that for a long time, but also there could be lone actors,” Hochul said. “This is a high state of alert for us.”
Out of an abundance of caution, she said she directed state intelligence communities and cyber experts to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement to ensure they are doing everything possible to secure locations such as places of worship.
Thousands of Iranians live in New York. Some say the current moment may offer an opportunity for democracy in their home country, while others condemn the strikes and the loss of innocent lives.
Protesters shared a mix of emotions:
“We are so much closer to the idea that there might be a day where our parents, our families, get to see a free Iran, which we never thought would happen in our lifetimes,” a protester said.
“We want to see the likely trillion dollars that this country spends on war, death and destruction invested in sustaining life for people here,” another said.
The NYPD says New Yorkers can expect to see counterterrorism and other specialized teams, additional officers on the streets and in the subways, and drones supporting security efforts from above.
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