Protesters gathered outside the United Nations during President Trump's address this morning, compounding the gridlock and security clampdown on Manhattan's East Side. 

Traffic has been moving at a crawl during the U.N. General Assembly, the start of the annual Gridlock Alert Days. 

Street closures, motorcade and demonstrators have all been packing the area. 

The group of dozens of protesters has since cleared up at 42nd Street and Second Avenue. They chanted "Trump is the emergency." 

The protesters gathered at 7 a.m. at the New York Public Library and then marched east until they got as close as they could to the U.N. perimeter. Security there is extremely tight, and traffic moving slowly. Police have layers of barricades and checkpoints along Second Avenues. 

The protests have largely been peaceful. Police appeared to tell people as long as they stayed on the sidewalk, they were OK. Police moved in on those who stepped into the road and blocked traffic and arrested around two dozen, although there's been no official total number of arrests released yet by the police. 

Protesters were calling on world leader to address global issues including democracy and the environment. 

"We are addressing the world leaders to say Donald Trump does not represent Americans that care about democracy and freedoms and rights and empathy," protester Karin Shall said. 

"None of us are going to survive if we don't take care of the Earth. We need clean water, we need clean air. We need to stop these billionaires from having free rein on the things that belong to us," protester Jane Jacobs said. 

The protesters only added to the gridlock concerns. First Avenue will remain closed from 42nd-48th Streets will be shut between First and Second Avenues. There will also be rolling closures for motorcades, including on the FDR. 

Officials continue to urge people to use mass transit and avoid the area around the U.N. if you can.