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Times Square shuts down in security scare
New York's Times Square was briefly evacuated Wednesday after police discovered what they said was a suspicious vehicle on the eve of huge New Year's celebrations in the area.
New York's Times Square was briefly evacuated Wednesday after police discovered what they said was a suspicious vehicle on the eve of huge New Year's celebrations in the area.
The normally crowded thoroughfare in the center of Manhattan was completely empty at midday. The area includes popular tourist destinations and the Nasdaq stock market building, which was also evacuated.
A police department spokeswoman told AFP the investigation involved "a suspicious vehicle," but at about 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) police re-opened the streets and traffic began flowing again after the potential threat was cleared.
New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said on Fox television the false alarm was caused by someone who "simply parked illegally in the wrong place at the wrong time of year."
A spokesman for Nasdaq said "trading was not affected" by the evacuation at its building, since the market operates electronically.
New York is on high alert ahead of Thursday when enormous crowds are expected in Times Square to see in 2010.
Browne said there would be a "very robust presence on New Year's Eve. We searched all the parking garages in the area for any kind of devices.
"There will be a big uniformed presence and lots of unseen officers in plain clothes, radiation sensors. Probably the most protected real estate in the city, or even the country, for that matter."
