纽约数以千计的人不畏严寒在时报广场庆祝2018年的来临。纽约一年一度的迎接新年庆典活动可追溯到1904年。
社会活动人士、旨在唤起人们对性侵犯关注的#MeToo行动的发起人塔拉那·伯克(Tarana Burke)按下了纽约有110年历史、迎接新年倒计时的水晶球下落的按钮。2017年，人们对性侵和性骚扰的态度和意识发生了巨大变化，数以百万计的人在社交媒体上用#MeToo做标签，显示性侵犯的广泛性。在那之前，几十位男性名人被控性侵或性骚扰，包括名流、国会议员和商界领袖。
伯克对《纽约每日新闻》表示，“我们要以新年为新起点，对一个更好地世界作出新的承诺。”
就像往年一样，聚集在时报广场的人群在水晶球开始下落时倒计时。在水晶球滑落到底时，2018年来临，同时伴随着烟花和彩带。
成千上万的人不畏摄氏零下12度的严寒观看了水晶球的下落。负责安保工作的有数千警察和其他安保人员。
玛利亚·凯莉、甜园合唱团和尼克·乔纳斯在时报广场上的迎新年庆典中登台献唱。
Thousands braved a frigid New York night to celebrate the start of 2018 in Times Square, an annual celebration that dates back to 1904.
Tarana Burke, a social activist who started the #MeToo movement to draw attention to sexual abuse, pushed the button that started the famed ball drop, a hallmark of the New York City celebration for 110 years. The year 2017 saw a sea change in attitudes and awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as millions of people used the hashtag to show how pervasive abuse is in the wake of accusations made against dozens of high profile men, including celebrities, members of Congress and business leaders.
“We need to go into the new year as a new beginning, with a new set of commitments to a better world,” Burke told the New York Daily News.
As they do each year, the crowd at Times Square counted down as the crystal ball slid down a pole, arriving at the bottom as 2018 began, accompanied by confetti and fireworks.
Hundreds of thousands of people watched over by thousands of police and other security personnel crowded the square, despite temperatures around -12 C (10 degrees Fahrenheit).
The frosty festivities in Times Square included performances by Mariah Carey, Sugarland and Nick Jonas.