President Joe Biden visits New York City for campaign receptions
NEW YORK - President Joe Biden arrived in New York City on Wednesday, bringing traffic chaos during the evening commute.
The White House said he attended three private campaign receptions.
Biden's visit comes ahead of a March 28 fundraiser he's planning with his predecessors, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Biden landed in a helicopter Wednesday afternoon at the Wall Street landing zone downtown after flying into John F. Kennedy International Airport on Air Force One. He left the city on Marine One around 8 p.m.
Biden's arrival brings traffic chaos to New York City
The NYPD began preparing hours before his arrival, putting up barricades and shutting down several major thoroughfares in Midtown and on the city's East and West sides, bringing traffic to a standstill for hours.
"It took me an extra, like, 40 minutes," one driver said.
"They should tell us where to go," another driver said.
"It's going to be crazy, and I'm trying to get back home to Brooklyn to get away from here, because sometimes you never know," Brooklyn resident Marina Sternberg said of the visit.
"I'm sure down here is going to be crazy and packed with people on the streets trying to see the president and just roadblocks and everything," Manhattan resident Jeraldo Pearson said.
Crosstown streets were so stagnant at the peak of the evening commute that city buses dropped passengers off in the middle of the Central Park Transverse, and a lot of taxi and ride-share passengers just gave up and finished their routes on foot.
"I've been trying to take a cab. It's so cold. I obviously don't wanna be biking. Now I'm biking," commuter Vanessa Cohen said.
"We started on foot, then we tried to get on a bus, but it was too full, so then we got in a taxi and then decided to go by foot 'cause it was fastest way," commuter Jeanine Katzen said.
"You gotta get creative getting across town, and I don't like that," commuter Chris Morales said.
Stalling traffic even more, several protests over the Israel-Hamas war popped up around Biden's events.
Biden's visit brings out protesters
Hundreds of Palestinian supporters gathered around the Columbus Circle Globe and protested for hours while waiting for the president's motorcade to drive past.
Watch Jennifer Bisram's report
"To not let this fall off the front pages. To continue to show we are paying attention to what's going on, and that he will pay a price for this in this election because there are so many people, myself included, who will not be able to bring themselves to vote for him," demonstrator Steve Bottocelli said.
"We're here to sort of give him a sort of New York welcome because we want to say that if he wants our vote, if he wants our support, he needs to listen to the majority of Americans -- the majority of Democratic voters, but Americans as a whole -- who want a cease-fire in Gaza," demonstrator Margaret Palquist said.
Wednesday marks exactly four months since the Israel-Hamas war started. Palestinian supporters say they want a cease-fire and hope the president hears their message loud and clear from New York City streets.
Police say the demonstration was peaceful with no reported arrests.
