One of Donald Trump's chief supporters accused Democrats of being a "party of violence" and was forced to flee her own protest as the scene outside the Manhattan court descended into chaos.

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Edited by| Paul Mitchel

 North America  section -  CJ journalist

New York -  April,4,2023

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    Firebrand congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been touted as Mr. Trump's 2024 running mate, staged a brief rally but it was hard to hear her over the crush of protesters.

"I would like to thank patriotic Trump supporters who are here today," Ms. Greene said through a megaphone, eliciting a burst of cheers and chants of "U-S-A!"

She was shouted down Ms. Greene said: “This is a travesty. We’re the party of peace. Democrats are communists.”

It marked one of the most contentious moments among the clashes breaking out between pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters as New York became the frontline in the political divide over Donald Trump's treatment by US prosecutors.

Eric Adams, the New York mayor, had earlier sent a message to potential "rabble-rousers", singling out Ms. Greene and warning her: “Be on your best behavior.” 

Addressing the large crowd, Ms. Greene said: "As you can see, I'm standing here peacefully protesting but you called me out by name. While you allow crime in your streets and you send your henchman down here to commit assault against people by making loud noises... [we are] trying to keep things civil, trying to prevent violence." 

Amid the unruly scenes, she spoke for a few minutes and then left swiftly in a white SUV as some counter-protesters heckled her and others whistled in support.

It came after clashes had broken out earlier in the morning on the steps of the New York courthouse. One group of Trump supporters waved a flag with the slogan "Trump or Death".

A witness wrote on Twitter: "Very ugly and heated. Police struggled to get in to break it up. Getting heated."

George Santos, a controversy-mired New York congressman, triggered a frenzy when he made an appearance outside the court. The Republican congressman was mobbed by protesters, and said he didn't plan to go inside the court but came to lend his “support to the president.”

He said: “I want to support the president, just because I think this is unprecedented, and it’s a bad day for democracy," he said. What’s to stop the next prosecutor in two years from doing the same thing to Joe Biden and moving on every four years?

Police cordons were set up all over lower Manhattan to protect the court.

All 35,000 officers in New York’s police department had been ordered to turn up for work in uniform in anticipation of possible unrest.

It wasn’t much later than 9 am before they had to deal with the first clashes. Maverick Stow, a Trump supporter from Long Island, waved an American flag.

He said he came in to protest what he called “the politically weaponized prosecution” of the former president and “the misuse of the justice system in general”.

At one point during the demonstrations, a Trump supporter attempted to rip the other side's banner, prompting police to step in.

Laurie Biter, 64, a regular anti-Trump protestor, said: "I've been jumped several times now."

She added: "It's not just an indictment going through a court. It's an indictment that we, as people of a good conscience, have to bring."

As anticipation mounted hundreds of Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters swarmed the streets around the courthouse. Kim Britt, 69, was among the first dozen anti-Trump demonstrators who showed up.

Nearby, a handful of Trump supporters stood outnumbered and cheered as a red-hatted Trump impersonator drove past in a limousine, flanked by a pickup truck flying several pro-Trump and anti-Biden flags.

Ms. Britt said: “If anyone is above the law, then we’re not going to get anywhere.”

The retired registered nurse from Manhattan recalled protesting at the same intersection seven years ago when Mr. Trump was first elected.

Despite a few isolated outbursts, however, concerns of a repeat of the US Capitol riot  - when supporters of Mr. Trump marched on Congress - failed to materialize.

In a sign of the level of interest in the case, members of the media and public began queuing up outside the courthouse from 2 pm on Monday - a full 24 hours ahead of Mr. Trump’s scheduled arraignment.

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