New York cops on high alert ahead of Trump surrender today

New York City police have set up barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they prepare for possible protests ahead of Donald Trump’s expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.

Trump is expected to be formally arrested and arraigned as he has been indicted  in a grand jury investigation over money paid to a porn star during his election campaign to hush up a sex scandal. This will be the first time ever that a former president is forced to stand before a judge to hear the criminal charges against him.

Trump describes the probe as a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, say they will go to New York on Tuesday to protest. The downtown courthouse, home to criminal and supreme courts, will shut down some courtrooms ahead of Trump’s expected appearance, a court official told Reuters.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said there were no credible threats to the city.

“The department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights,” the NYPD said in a statement.

Trump is expected to fly to New York on Monday from Florida and spend the night at Trump Tower, before arriving early Tuesday morning at the courthouse, Reuters cited a Trump adviser as saying.

While the spectacle of the former president facing criminal charges was certain to draw massive media attention, it is not yet clear if his appearance would draw a large number of protesters, according to the Reuters report.

However, police are fully geared up to thwart an incident like the storming of the US Capitol building by Trump supporters that took place after he lost the Presidential election in 2021.