It took a squad of New York City cops to escort Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) through the crowd outside Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, a thin wall of uniforms between the far-right member of Congress and a circus of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, anti-Trump protesters, and a wave of reporters tripping over themselves to get a good view.
Greene’s “stage” was a couple of park benches, and her message was similar to that of the MAGA hat-clad, flag-waving Trump faithfuls who swarmed lower Manhattan: Trump’s indictment is a threat to the American way of life.
“The real threat to democracy is today, when they are arresting him! I cannot believe that this is happening,” Greene belted through a bullhorn, adding that New York City used to be great but “is no more,” and that Democrats were child abusers.
“President Trump will be found innocent!” she said before making a swift exit. “This witch hunt will end! We will not tolerate it!”
Barely anyone could hear the lawmaker and her follow-up act, the far-right internet performer Jack Posobiec, as a coterie of anti-Trump protesters led by New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams burst through the media scrum blowing whistles.
But Posobiec’s voice floated above the din long enough to argue that Trump’s motorcade to the courthouse for his arraignment was “the funeral procession for our republic.”
As the hours ticked on and Trump supporters and opponents craned for a view of the alleged criminal, Collect Pond Park — directly across the street from the courthouse — turned into a living comment section. Trump supporters and opponents alike were there to be seen, keenly aware of the dense concentration of reporters filming everything.
After Greene left, anti- and pro-Trump protesters traded barbs across a metal fence installed by the NYPD to keep the two factions separate. Fights nearly broke out when opposing sides intermingled with each other. “F****ts! F****ts!” red-hatted Trump supporters chanted at two gay men who entered the MAGA section of the park.
Several pro-Trump supporters sported white supremacist symbols on their clothing. One young white man wore a skull mask and implored the crowd to watch “Europa: The Last Battle,” a deeply antisemitic 2017 film that falsely claims Jews started both world wars. “White Lives Matter!” shouted a man carrying a “Trump or Death” flag and a bottle of liquor. | 
