Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade seen as attractive terrorist target: report

Investigators behind a joint threat assessment from the NYPD and FBI are warning that terrorists from home and afar may target the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to a new report.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is expected to attract 2 million in-person spectators from around the United States and a national audience on TV. About 10,000 marchers are slated to participate, and they come from all over the country, too.

This year's rehearsal photos show the Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriot Marching Band from South Dakota, the Minuteman Marching Band from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, high schoolers from Georgia, New Jersey and Arizona, the Texas-based Spirit of America Cheer group, and more.

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"The men and women of the NYPD are looking forward to hosting the millions of spectators who will attend this week's Thanksgiving-related festivities," Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard told Fox News. "And while there are currently no credible or specific threats to any individual event or to New York City in general, the police department will continue partnering with our state and federal colleagues to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday season for all the people we serve."

But domestic and foreign terrorists may find the parade to be an appealing soft target, according to the assessment first obtained by ABC News.

"Though the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade event will provide a broad set of potential soft targets for an attack, congested areas where the largest amount of people gather – particularly designated viewing areas – are likely the most vulnerable spots for a mass casualty attack," according to the outlet.

An NYPD document reviewed by Fox News Digital shows that police were preparing for for a range of potential threats, including home-grown domestic terrorists to foreign extremists – and also non-terror criminals. Investigators noted the Wisconsin Christmas parade attack in Waukesha, in which career criminal Darrell Brooks Jr. plowed through lightweight barricades and then mowed down dozens of people, killing six and injuring more than 60 more.

Investigators warned of a persistent terror threat from ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

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The authors found no specific threats to the parade, however. They urged caution and readiness.

They warned of a possible vehicle attack, like the Islamic State Group-inspired truck attack on a Manhattan bicycle path in 2017. In that incident, a radicalized lone wolf named Sayfullo Saipov killed eight and injured 13 more when he plowed into the victims with a rented flatbed truck. Saipov was convicted and given 10 consecutive life sentences plus another 260 years in prison.

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To mitigate similar attacks, authorities plan to block off intersections with garbage trucks and other obstacles, according to the assessment.

The NYPD is used to operating under such a threat environment and has a massive intelligence operation that includes collecting data at home and overseas.

Last year, anti-Israel agitators disrupted the parade with chants and banners, and some of them even glued themselves to the street along the parade route.

Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas, an antisemitic terror group that attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7. 2023, has led to protests and heightened terror threats around the world.

At a joint news briefing last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams said city and state police were both monitoring threats at home and abroad. 

Macy's first Thanksgiving Day Parade was held 100 years ago on Nov. 27, 1924. It has been held every year since, except during World War II.

"The NYPD has been providing security for the Thanksgiving Day parade since its inception," said John Macari, a retired NYPD lieutenant who worked the parade many times during his career. "There are numerous concerns the NYPD has each year, ranging from traffic safety all the way up to, God forbid, acts of terrorism."

Protests pop up, like last year's glue incident. Balloons have come loose in the wind with deadly consequences. 

"I have full confidence the NYPD will ensure the safety of parade goers in the same way they always have," Macari said.

This year, the Big Apple is expected to see a rainy, chilly event, according to a forecast from FOX Weather. There is the looming threat of a winter storm in the Northeast, but winds aren't expected to pick up until the late afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be around 45 degrees.

The parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m.