NEW York City will be on high alert in the coming days for the annual Met Gala, which is set to bring in big names like Jeff Bezos, Sabrina Carpenter and Angela Bassett.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be equipped with high-stakes security, including snipers and hostage negotiators, to mitigate any threat that could possibly disrupt the major fashion event.
The Met Gala, which is set to take place on Monday, can become a prime target for protestors.
In recent years, the event has been targeted by demonstrators protesting against the Gaza conflict, and with the ongoing Iran war, there is potential for more protestors.
The high-profile event has already been hit with a protest as officials discovered over 300 bottles of fake urine hidden inside the museum, SWNS reported.
The stunt came as backlash continues to grow that Bezos, the man behind Amazon, and his wife were made honorary co-chairs and lead sponsors of the Met Gala.
The fake urine stunt was reportedly organized by the UK campaign group Everyone Hates Elon, highlighting the e-commerce company’s “treatment of its workers.”
Workers have supposedly “reported being forced to urinate in bottles because they are not allowed time to take toilet breaks,” per SWNS.
Michael Alcazar, a former NYPD detective, revealed the details of the Met’s security in 2025, including the heavy police presence in the area.
While the event gears up to welcome big names in Hollywood, including Teyana Taylor, Zoë Kravitz and Cara Delevingne, security operations will be tight near the venue on 5th Avenue, Alcazar said.
“The NYPD has to be prepared for every eventuality,” he told The U.S. Sun.
Cops will be armed and patrolling the streets, while snipers will be stationed on the tops of buildings.
The ex-cop said a “frozen zone” will surround the Met, which could span as far as a mile, with barricaded areas.
“The NYPD is good at locking down an area,” he assured.
“No one will be allowed in there unless you’re attending the gala.”
At the event in 2025, a woman was physically stopped from entering the hotel where celebrities get ready for the event.
A shouting match ensued when she allegedly tried to blow past security guards just hours before the event began.
She told police she was staying at the hotel and after a brief discussion, she was allowed in.
Drones were also reportedly set to be deployed with cops utilizing license plate recognition software to keep an eye out for any vehicles that should not be in the area, Alcazar said.
“The area will be saturated with video surveillance, so we’re going to remove vehicles that are parked or don’t belong in the area,” he explained.
“We’re going to limit access so that vehicles can’t just drive up on the sidewalk on the streets.
“We’re going to have barrier trucks and concrete barriers to ensure the safety of all attendees and citizens of New York City.”
With the area on lockdown, some subway stations could close and taxis and Ubers could be rerouted.
Alcazar also revealed that arrest teams will be on standby patrolling the area to assist cops on the ground.
“Their sole purpose is to be activated if they have to make an arrest for disorderly groups or criminal element,” he said.
Authorities will have an arrest area set up, designated to process anyone who creates a disruption, with buses on standby to take disrupters to a central booking unit.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16302367/met-gala-security-snipers-cops-hostage-negotiators-protestors/
