New York Young Republican Club protests potential indictment of former President Donald Trump
NEW YORK -- The NYPD is working with federal authorities to prepare for potential protests if former President Donald Trump is indicted.
On Monday night, some Republicans rallied outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
Intelligence sources tell CBS News they are seeing a significant increase in online threats and violent rhetoric related to the former president's possible indictment.
High-level law enforcement was meeting in the city on Monday, according to sources, to coordinate security plans.
The New York Young Republican Club rallied outside the criminal courthouse.
"We want President Trump to know he has our support. We stand behind him," a protester named Chelsea said.
The group stayed peaceful at the behest of organizers.
"We want to show conservatives can still come out in a deep blue city and protest peacefully," said Gavin Wax, president of the New York Young Republican Club.
"If it gets too crazy, I'm leaving," said Danna Morgan of Queens.
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After Trump urged his supporters on Truth Social to "protest, take our nation back," police are readying for potential unrest.
"The NYPD is doing their role to make sure there's no inappropriate actions in the city," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Officers have already been putting up barricades around criminal court. If an indictment comes, sources tell CBS2 there will be a "ring of steel" around the courthouse, with entrances sealed off and guarded by police.
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Sources also say the NYPD is ordering all officers, including plainclothes detectives, to dress in full uniform on Tuesday and prepare to be mobilized.
"It's gonna be mandatory that the NYPD is going to have officers positioned in places like Foley Square and throughout Lower Manhattan," said Darrin Porcher, a Pace University professor and former NYPD lieutenant.
Porcher said the department's prep is multifaceted and includes monitoring activity online.
"Intelligence Division is going to look in to possibly excessive airline trips into New York City from places where we had co-conspirators that were part of the Jan. 6 offensive," Porcher said.
Sources also tell CBS News that police, along with the MTA and Port Authority, are preparing for the possibility of caravans intentionally tying up rush hour traffic this week on the city's bridges and tunnels.