EDITOR’S NOTE: Below are remarks the mayor prepared for delivery to the media yesterday.
THE 2004 Republican National Convention was the largest event the city had held since 9/11. We were very concerned that we would be a target for potential terrorists or others intent on causing disruptions.
The eyes of the world would be on us, and that would make us an even more inviting target than usual. We wanted to show the world how far we had come since 9/11 – and there’s no doubt others wanted to bring us another dark day.
Plus, with the president in town, along with many members of Congress, and for other reasons, the Department of Homeland Security declared it a national-security special event.
We had a fundamental responsibility to learn whether groups might include any potential terrorists or anarchists planning to cause or take advantage of any disruptions. We saw what happened in Seattle during the 1999 World Trade Organization conference, when the police were caught off guard by those intent on destroying property and endangering the public.
That is why the NYPD, in accordance with court-approved guidelines, monitored those who said they intended to use vandalism or worse to disrupt the city, including shutting down Wall Street and trashing targeted businesses. In a few instances, we kept track of groups or individuals who planned to come to New York for the convention and who might have been planning violent acts.
The NYPD’s work was essential for planning purposes, because it allowed the NYPD to put the proper resources in place during the week of the convention. As a result of this work, and the professionalism of our officers, the week was a huge success and it came off safely.
The protest by United Peace and Justice, one of the biggest protests in the history of American political conventions – 800,000 people strong – came off practically without a hitch. In fact, most of the arrests took place on one day during the week of the convention – which had been promoted as a Day of Disruption by certain people intent on taking advantage of the situation. And it was because of the work the police had done that we knew that day was coming and were prepared for it.
It’s easy now to forget the nervousness and unease that many New Yorkers felt about the convention. The fear of major disruptions and violence . . . or worse. Those concerns were real – and justified.
Not holding the convention would have been giving in to the terrorists – and there was no way we would allow that. But holding the convention required us to take steps that were reasonable to identify potential violent threats and put the resources in place to thwart them.
And let’s not forget – it was exactly these intelligence activities that led the NYPD to stop a plot to detonate an explosive device at the Herald Square Subway Station, one block away from Madison Square Garden.
Not every intelligence mission turns up a terrorist or violent anarchist. But the fact is, we don’t have the luxury of hindsight. We have to think ahead – to imagine every possible scenario. We have some of the best minds in the intelligence community working for the NYPD for exactly this reason – and they have been extraordinarily successful, though each day is another challenge.
Finally, let me just underscore the obvious: We were not keeping track of political activities. We have no interest in doing that. We had one goal and one goal only: keeping New Yorkers safe. And that continues to be the only goal of our intelligence unit. We continue to pursue that goal aggressively, and always within the bounds of the law.
If there is a terrorism lesson for this country in 9/11, it’s that we can’t sit around unprepared and wait for a calamity to happen. The first line of defense is active, long-term, comprehensive prevention measures, and second, simultaneously, devoting the resources, personnel, equipment and training so we are able to respond without waiting for other levels of government.
Whether it’s a thousand police officers devoted to intelligence and counterterrorism or detectives in foreign cities, Hercules Teams or Critical-Response Teams, our counterterrorism efforts are meant to protect our freedoms – protect free speech, not stifle it.
I wish we lived in a Norman Rockwell world, but we don’t. And we will continue to do whatever we can to protect this great city.
Michael R. Bloomberg is mayor of New York City.