31 August 2004

Previous red-team reports of convention preparations and operations:

http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-01.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-02.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-03.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-04.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc05/rnc-prep-05.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-06.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-07.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-08.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-09.htm
http://cryptome.org/rnc-prep-10.htm

Cryptome toured the areas around Times Square and Madison Square Garden yesterday about 4-6 PM, taking these photos.

A dozen government SUVs, possibly Secret Service/DHS, on West 41st Street, near 8th Avenue. The New York Times reported on a visit to Secret Service/DHS headquarters after promising to not reveal its location. The Times is located two blocks from this hotel. (Thanks to A for this site.)

7th Avenue cleared from West 46th Street to West 30th Street, so delegates, if not first responders, have easy movement.

Roof huts for snipers and observers on Madison Square Garden at upper left, and James Farley Post Office along 8th Avenue overlooking MSG, upper right (the sniper hut is on the top roof behnd the flag pole,  the lower row of tents are TV network cameras), and 9th Avenue overlooking sunken train tracks, at two bottom photos.

Novel crowd spying tools: a pro-grade boom-and-camera and barrier steps for lifting cops to oversee, 7th Avenue and West 33rd Street. Correction: the boom belongs to C-SPAN. See its truck sign, far left, just below the pedestrian walk signal, and photo added below. Other photos show policemen guarding the boom, not operating it. (Thanks to two who saw our error.)

Zone 1 around Madison Square Garden, along cleared West 34th Street which leads to the heliport on the Hudson River. The canvas chute at center is for delegates to get from buses/limos/golf carts to the arena. A police officer told Cryptome "Zone 1 is where the professionals protect the inmates, we're the comedy cops in Zone 2."

Public and delegate access to Pennsylvania Station, Long Island Railroad entry at left. Downstairs in the LIRR lobby we spotted two men servicing a chem-bio sensor, with cops guarding. We asked what the device was. A serviceman smiling said, "it's a rat-killer, we're getting rid of rats in the station." We asked to take a photo of the rodent-exterminator, a shiny contraption about the size of a coffin standing on end. "No photos," the Schwarzenegger threatened.

Slouching to the target area, spotted another high-pressure natural gas pipeline regulator/vent at Amsterdam and West 61st Street, near Lincoln Center. Admired the duct tape on the test valve.