No doubt you were awakened by the sounds of helicopters this morning, circling the neighborhood so they can get a birds-eye shot of Trump (well, I guess of his motorcade) as he arrives for his arraignment at 100 Centre this afternoon — expected around 2p.
He is scheduled to surrender at the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, also in 100 Centre (though his address is listed as 1 Hogan Place, which is that little stretch of Leonard between Centre and Baxter is called). He will then be arraigned there, in the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building.
The press scrum was already in place when I walked over at 7:30, and press cars have jammed up not just Collect Pond Park at Leonard over to Lafayette but also on all the pathways and sidewalks of Thomas Paine Park at Foley Square. Some of the reporters were already straightening their ties and doing standups despite the fact that there’s several hours to go.
The Times is following this with live updates, of course, but for you locals, it seems like staying away from Centre this afternoon is the best idea if you want to avoid the action. I didn’t see any signs of protestors but maybe they are waiting till DJT is en route. I just hope they all look something like this, below, that Tribecan and photographer Todd Burris spotted in Midtown.
From The Times: “Mr. Trump will only spend a short time in custody before his court appearance and he likely won’t be handcuffed or have a mug shot taken. Amid fears of protests and Trump-inspired threats, the day’s events will be highly choreographed by the Secret Service, the New York City Police Department, court security and the Manhattan district attorney’s office…The charges he faces will likely remain under seal until he appears in court for his arraignment.”
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