New Mexico law enforcement on high alert as fears spread over Israel-Hamas war
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Organizers held a demonstration in Albuquerque Friday afternoon for Palestinian rights as Israel continues to carry out raids in Gaza.
Things got tense for a moment when a man came out flying an Israeli flag. There was an altercation, but organizers were set on keeping things peaceful.
Tensions are high. A man waving an Israeli flag was involved in some type of altercation with protestors. It does not appear anyone was injured.
— Griffin Rushton (@GriffinRushton) October 13, 2023
Organizers asked all protestors to return to the main demonstration across the street. pic.twitter.com/LENMpcgxIb
Meanwhile, cities across the U.S. are increasing security as the conflict intensifies.
“There have been no direct threats here in our city, but again, we are staying vigilant,” APD First Commander Luke Languit said. “Like I said, we do have part of the department that actively monitors that.”
APD says they have a proactive unit of field officers doing routine patrols and looking for vandalism in places of worship.
“They are going out to our congregation centers, synagogues, prayer sites, they are keeping high visibility patrols and presence there to make sure no one is going there to commit an act of violence against anyone,” Languit said.
Languit says APD’s partnerships with faith-based leaders is well established and makes communication easier in situations like these.
“At the Albuquerque Police Department we ensure that our partnership with faith-based leaders is very strong,” he said. “We meet with them regularly just to ensure that if there are any type or resources or any type of questions or fears or concerns that we have, that we are working together to address them.”
They aren’t the only ones on high alert. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department is also part of the conversation. They shared the following statement:
“We’ve been briefed on the situation and potential local concerns. We’re coordinating closely with APD and other area law enforcement to ensure the well being of our residents.”
The Albuquerque FBI has also been in touch with local communities across the state. They say they are tracking the events in the Middle East closely, and that hate crimes and violence against members of any community will not be tolerated.