Terrorists may be eyeing Macy’s Thanksgiving parade as target, officials warn

The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in Manhattan is thought to be a potential target for foreign and international terror groups, ABC News reported on Thursday citing a joint threat assessment by the FBI and New York Police Department. 

The threats posed to the United States’s largest parade "stems from lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence," according to the documents.

More than 2 million people are reportedly expected to watch the parade of 10,000 participants.

While the United States’s gun laws has been the source of frequent discussions, officials believe that a ramming attack is the most likely mode of terrorism as it "has become a recurring tactic employed by threat actors."

"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," the assessment said.

Previous disruptions

Last year, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the parade.  A  group of about 20 pro-Palestinian protesters halted the parade for a few minutes after lining across Sixth Avenue. Many of them wore tops emblazoned with "Stop the Genocide" as they unfurled a banner saying "Free Palestine," "Land Back" and "Genocide Then, Genocide Now."