Biden Declared Winner, Times Square Celebrates

Social Distancing Paused for Celebration

Two women recreate the famous photo from 1945 as they share a kiss in Times Square after Joe Biden was elected President on Saturday, November 7, 2020.--Photo by David Greene

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By David Greene, November 8, 2020

To New Yorkers who celebrated in Times Square on Saturday, Joe Biden's presumed victory over President Donald J. Trump was like New Year's Eve, Super Bowl Sunday and Fourth of July rolled up into one.

Several thousand people take to the streets of Times Square after former Vice President Joe Biden is elected the 46th President of the United States on Saturday, November 8, 2020.--Photo by David Greene

Less than an hour before The Associated Press reported that Biden had been declared victorious with a win in Pennsylvania at 11:25 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, President Trump Tweeted, "I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!" Twitter flagged the message as misleading, warning readers, "Official sources may not have called the race when this was Tweeted."

Residents along Hull Avenue in Norwood began giving one another "high fives” and vehicles blew their horns in celebration along the Grand Concourse and the West Side Highway and across the city, late into the evening.

A large crowd gathers in celebration of Joe Biden's victory of President Donald Trump on Saturday, November 7, 2020.--Photo by David Greene

A scheduled protest to "Protect the Vote" drew a crowd of 1,000 in Columbus Circle as the demonstration turned into celebration with news of the victory. With balmy temperatures in the low 70s, news of Biden's victory drew similar crowds of face-covered celebrants reported at Union Square, Foley Square, Tomkins Square Park, Madison Square Park and Times Square.

A man wears what appears to be a space helmet joins the crowd of celebrants in Times Square on Saturday, November 7, 2020.--Photo by David Greene

After two previous nights of clashes between anti-Trump demonstrators and police, sources say one police officer suffered a minor wrist injury during a skirmish with a protester outside of Trump Tower.

The Times Square crowd, believed to be several thousand when police closed the 'The Great White Way' to traffic, sang such American Rock n' Roll classics, that oddly enough were mostly British, including "We are the Champions," by Queens, the 1969 hit "Sha Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye," by the Dave Clark Five and "I will Survive" by Boston-native, the late Donna Summer.

Many banging on cowbells or blowing hand-held horns, the crowd broke into several chants including "Let's Go Joe!"and "No More Years!" Scantily clad young women dancing to Joan Jett and The Black Hearts, "I Love Rock and Roll."

Halloween may be over but one woman wore a superhero costume as she joined celebrants in Times Square on Saturday, November 7, 2020.--Photo by David Greene

Two unidentified women in the crowd reenacted the iconic poise captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt from VJ Day in 1945, as crowds gathered in Times Square as news came reporting the End of World War ll. The photo, regarded as one of the most known photos of the 20th century, was published in Life magazine and depicted a sailor and a young woman kissing. The 2020 version had the two women embraced in a passionate kiss as the couple both wore N-95 face masks.

In his victory speech later that evening from Wilmington, Delaware, Biden offered an olive branch to Republicans, when he stated, "And to those who voted for President Trump. I understand your disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of elections myself."

Biden added, "But now, let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric. To lower the temperature. To see each other again. To listen to each other again. To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans."