Revelers prepare to gather in Times Square for the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop

NEW YORK (AP) – There’s been confetti tests For airlessness. huge number – 2 0 2 4 – Are in place. And the luminous ball, sparkling with 2,688 crystal triangles, settles on the pole where it descends for 60 seconds at 11:59 pm.

With crowds of people ready to celebrate the New Year under the bright lights of Times Square, officials and organizers say they are prepared to welcome the crowds and ensure their safety.

At a security briefing on Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there was “no particular threat” to the annual New Year’s Eve event, which is expected to draw thousands of people to the heart of Midtown Manhattan on Sunday.

The celebrity-packed event will include live performances from Flo Rida, Megan Thee Stallion, LL Cool J, as well as televised appearances from Cardi B and more. Organizers said in-person attendance is expected to return to pre-COVID levels, even though foot traffic around Times Square has dropped slightly since the pandemic.

Clashes erupt amid near-daily protests in New York Israeli and Hamas terrorists in GazaPolice said they would expand the security perimeter around the party, creating a “buffer zone” that would allow them to avoid potential demonstrations.

Pro-Palestine marches have disrupted recent events in New York, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the ceremonial lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

“We’ll come here with our dogs, on our horses, with our helicopters, our boats,” Adams said. He said officials would also keep an eye on the protests using drones. “But as we saw last year, after not having any particular threat, we get a threat.”

Last year during a New Year’s Eve party, a man with a knife Attacked three police officers A few blocks from Times Square.

On Saturday, as organizers practiced raising and lowering the iconic ball, Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, said he was confident the painstaking preparation would contribute to a seamless night.

He said, “The star of the show just had a dress rehearsal and gave an amazing performance.” “I’m sure everything is going to be great in Times Square tomorrow night.”

His advice for people planning to participate in the countdown: “Come early.”