Security beefed up at UN this year for General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Opening day at the United Nations' annual gathering of world leaders saw beefed-up security measures and a suspicious package that continued to the chaotic scene around U.N.

Key points

• Motorcades carrying presidents, prime ministers and monarchs to the building had priority on nearby streets and traffic was often at a standstill.
• First Avenue – which runs uptown alongside the U.N.
• For the first time, apparently in response to escalating threats, U.N.
• Plenty of faced long delays, and some were frantic.

For the first time, apparently in response to escalating threats, U.N. Security required all staff and lower-ranking diplomats to have their belongings scanned.

Meanwhile, the difficulty was that there were only two scanners for hundreds and hundreds of residents trying to obtain into the building via the staff entrance between 8 a.m. And 9 a.m. When the session kicked off, tuesday. Plenty of faced long delays, and some were frantic.

Meanwhile, First Avenue – which runs uptown alongside the U.N. Complex – was closed to normal traffic. Only motorcades could enter. That meant that plenty of vehicles trying to secure uptown were using the closest uptown street — Third Avenue.

Taken together, the developments around security beefed up at UN this year for General Assembly point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.