Overview
- The NYPD announced it will not support further free outdoor watch parties on 33rd Street after officers reported crowd disorder, including people jumping barriers, throwing glass bottles, climbing on subway entrances and six arrests.
- The Street Activity Permit Office formally denied Madison Square Garden’s permit for the next outdoor event, blocking a planned Game 4 gathering outside the arena.
- The department said it remains open to approving parties at other venues, and it specifically named SummerStage in Central Park as a site it will consider.
- Fans, city officials and former police personnel pushed back, urging the city to fund officer overtime or other controls so outdoor gatherings can return without public-safety risks.
- Outdoor watch parties had provided an affordable way for many New Yorkers to join the Knicks’ deep playoff run, and the ban shifts large crowds to sold-out indoor events and private venues while raising questions about access and policing resources.