It happened around 4:30 p.m. at the Urban Outfitters store near Broadway and Fulton.
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Video from an Eyewitness News camera streamed live on social media showed thousands of bees gathered at the base of the planter.
WATCH: NYPD beekeeper responds to swarm in Lower Manhattan
A beekeeper from the NYPD was vacuuming up the bees to remove them to a safer location.
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There were no reports of any injuries.
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