A young admirer

Extraordinary security

Central Park converted into a security fortress

Central Park West, shut down

Pope Francis made a procession through Central Park in his Popemobile today to the delight of 80,000 people who won tickets in a lottery, then passed through metal detectors and waited on their feet for up to 8 hours for his arrival. The park was completely surrounded by an 8-foot fence. Sanitation trucks and police vehicles closed off all of the surrounding streets. The Secret Service, NYPD, snipers on rooftops, and antiterrorism squads were everywhere and two helicopters kept pace with the procession overhead – one low and one high. Some wondered whether this unprecedented show of security was perhaps excessive to protect the man of peace who came to New York and won the people’s hearts in just one day.