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Security Tight At New York Thanksgiving Parade

Security Tight At New York Thanksgiving Parade

Spectators have thronged New York City for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, held under tight security two weeks after the deadly Paris attacks.

Thousands of police officers were deployed along the route of the event, which was expected to draw about 3.5 million spectators.

Officials in America's most populous city have urged residents and visitors to enjoy their holiday without fear of terrorism.

More than 2,500 officers were stationed along the parade route - the largest number of officers the city has ever assigned to the event.

Police added members of a new counter-terrorism unit to parade security.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a Wednesday night news conference: "I think people are coming here from all over the city, all over the metropolitan region, all over the country to be a part of this parade.

"We cannot let the terrorists succeed at psychological warfare."

About 50 million people worldwide were expected to watch the televised show, now in its 89th year, which marks the start of the US holiday season.

Crowds were up to 80-deep near Bryant Park in Midtown as the floats and giant balloons of characters such as Snoopy and Hello Kitty bobbed by.

Anne Marie Sheehy, 49, from Liverpool in the UK, who was watching the parade with her travel companion Paula Deegan, 50, said she felt safe.

"The security is so stringent in NYC that it puts you at ease right from your arrival at the airport," she said.

The parade is a traditional part of Thanksgiving, when American families gather for turkey dinners to commemorate a 1621 feast shared by colonists and Native Americans in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

In his Thanksgiving message, President Barack Obama urged Americans to show generosity to Syrian refugees.

He reminded them that the Pilgrims who came to America in the 17th century were themselves fleeing persecution.

"Nearly four centuries after the Mayflower set sail, the world is still full of pilgrims - men and women who want nothing more than the chance for a safer, better future for themselves and their families," Mr Obama said.

The US President's plan to accept an additional 10,000 refugees from Syria is facing stiff resistance in Congress .