NYC won’t let threats dampen parade fun
NEW YORK — David Huddle and his daughter Megan, a flute player for the North Hardin High School marching band in Kentucky, have been preparing for more than a year for the band’s performance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
They have no intention of letting threats of violence from Islamic State deter them.
“The main goal of a terrorist attack is to create terror,” David Huddle said. “It’s important to go on with your life. You can’t dwell on it, or you’ll never be happy.”
Millions of New Yorkers and tourists are expected to line the streets of Manhattan on Thursday for the parade, more than a week after Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, released a video showing images of New York juxtaposed with a scene depicting a suicide bomber preparing for an attack.
Some people said on Facebook and Twitter they would skip the parade this year in light of the new threats.
A school district on New York’s Long Island called off a planned December middleschool trip to Manhattan, while Penn State University said it would cancel some student trips to Washington, D.C., and New York.
But New York officials have a response: Don’t be scared.
While they haven’t given much operational detail, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton said thousands of police officers will be out in force for the parade.
Security efforts will be bolstered by a new counterterrorism unit, Critical Response Command, that includes more heavily armed officers. Another unit created this year to respond to large protests and other incidents requiring more manpower will also assist patrol officers.
Bratton said his own grandchildren are visiting New York for the first time and will attend the parade.
“Celebrate, be aware, but do not be afraid,” he said. “The NYPD will protect you.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced the launch of an application allowing New Yorkers to report suspicious activity by sending photos or text messages from their mobile devices to the state’s division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
City officials said there is no evidence of a “specific and credible threat” to New York.