UN General Assembly week brings motorcades, closures and tight security to Manhattan

Manhattan is getting ready for a week of tighter security, road closures and heavy congestion. Heads of state and government are coming to the city for the annual UN General Assembly, which opens Monday.

Iran, Israel and Ukraine are among the countries expected to send leaders. Their motorcades will likely slow traffic across Manhattan, and the East Side should be hit hardest. Security will stay heightened for the entire week.

UN General Assembly traffic: what to expect in Manhattan

Officials expect street closures and slow traffic for as long as the diplomatic gathering lasts. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the police commissioner were set to give more details on the security plans at a news conference.

Matt McCool, who leads the Secret Service’s office in New York, had a blunt warning for anyone thinking of getting in the way of an official convoy. “Anybody that thinks they’re going to disrupt one of our motorcades is going to find themselves in jail very quickly,” he said. McCool also said that wars, disagreements and political divisions around the world should not stop visiting countries and their leaders from finding a safe and secure environment in the city.

Netanyahu visit and protests during UN week

Much of the attention is on Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s prime minister is expected to attend, and demonstrations could follow him during his time in the United States. Mamdani has said he looked into whether Netanyahu could be arrested over war crimes allegations and decided there was no legal basis to do so. That review has worried the Israeli government ahead of the trip.

When asked about possible demonstrations, the mayor said New Yorkers have the right to protest. He said he has never urged anyone to protest, but that the city respects that right and is proud of the Constitution and the First Amendment.