US, STEVE LACY. AND I’M NATASHA BURMA. >> THE TREE WON’T BE LIT UNTIL AROUND 10:00 TONIGHT, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE ALREADY GATHERING, INCLUDING THE NYPD, AND THEY’RE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE PROTESTS. >> RICHARD JACOBS JOINS US LIVE IN MIDTOWN WHERE HE CAN SEE JUST
HOW BUSY A SCENE IT ALREADY IS AT THIS HOUR. RICHARD >> OH, IT IS GETTING SO BUSY. WE CAN FEEL IT, STEVE AND NATASHA, YOU KNOW, IT’S HOLIDAY SEASON EVERYWHERE IN NEW YORK CITY, BUT IT REALLY ISN’T OFFICIALLY THE HOLIDAY SEASON UNTIL WE LIGHT UP THAT 80 FOOT NORWAY SPRUCE IN
ALL ITS GLORY. SITTING HERE TONIGHT IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER, IT IS CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE DESCENDING UPON THE PLAZA TONIGHT. NYPD OFFICERS BEGAN DOING SECURITY CHECKS JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, ENSURING THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE COMING IN HERE. SECURITY IS TIGHT. THOUSANDS OF NYPD OFFICERS ON
HAND FOR THE INCREASED POSSIBILITY OF SECURITY THREATS. WE ARE EXPECTING PRO-PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS WHO ARE PLANNING TO PROTEST AT THE TREE LIGHTING AROUND 6 P.M. TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK, THOUSANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS DESCENDED ON BLACK FRIDAY, SHOPPERS BLOCKING STORES IN HERALD SQUARE AND STALLING THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE BY ATTEMPTING TO GLUE
THEMSELVES TO THE GROUND. TODAY IS A GRIDLOCK ALERT DAY WITH 48TH THROUGH 51ST STREETS CLOSED BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH AVENUES, ENTRY POINTS ARE NOW OPEN AND ARE LOCATED AT 48TH AND SIXTH AND 51ST AND SIXTH. SO YES, WE EXPECT DEMONSTRATORS. HOW CLOSE THEY’LL GET, NOT SURE BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, REALLY TIGHT AROUND
HERE AND IT’S VERY HARD TO GET NEAR THE PLAZA. AS FOR THOSE WHO GOT IN HERE ALREADY AND HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL DAY, WELL, THEY CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS TREE LIT UP. >> IT’S A SURREAL EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE. I FEEL LIKE I FEEL
LIKE IT’S LIKE SO POPULAR TO, YOU KNOW, I’M A NEWBIE HERE, SO I FEEL LIKE JUST SEEING IT UP CLOSE, PERSONAL AND WAITING, IT JUST MAKES IT SO MUCH MORE MAGICAL. PROBABLY THE LOUD ROAR. >> EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HAVE THAT. THAT’S GOING TO BE REALLY AWESOME. NICE AND SYNC OF
EVERYBODY YELLING, YOU KNOW, AND CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. >> 20 YEARS AGO, I BROUGHT HER HERE WHEN WE CAME TO NEW YORK AND IT WAS A MEMORY FOR US. AND NOW I WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH MY KIDS. WELL, WE WERE HERE TWO YEARS AGO AND FOR THE NEW YEARS,
THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. >> AND WE CAME BACK AND WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT HAVEN’T WE DONE YET? AND IT WAS THE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY. SO HERE’S MY CREW AND WE COME TO WATCH THE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY, AND HERE’S ANOTHER LOOK AT THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER CHRISTMAS TREE, 80 FOOT NORWAY SPRUCE
EXPECTED TO BE LIT A FEW MINUTES BEFORE 10 P.M. TONIGHT. >> IF YOU ARE COMING OUT HERE TONIGHT, BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR BLANKETS, YOUR BACKPACKS, YOUR LAWN CHAIRS AND LARGE BAGS AT HOME. BUT IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT HERE TONIGHT, REMEMBER THIS TREE ACTUALLY WILL BE LIT FROM 5 A.M.
TO MIDNIGHT EVERY DAY FROM TONIGHT THROUGH JANUARY 15TH. THAT’S THE LONGEST IT’S EVER BEEN LIT. SO WE’RE EXTENDING THAT HOLIDAY SEASON, EXTENDING THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. IT ALL BEGINS HERE TONIGHT FOR CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER. MY
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