Clashes outside Manhattan courthouse where Trump will be arraigned as NYC awaits historic appearance
Trump will depart Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue for the courthouse at 10.30am this morning
Through the night, journalists lined up outside the courthouse to ensure they were guaranteed a spot
The judge has banned live video from inside court at Trump’s request; still photos will be allowed
By Jen Smith, Chief Reporter and Daniel Bates At Manhattan Criminal Court and Kamal Sultan At Trump Tower and Will Potter In Manhattan For Dailymail.Com
Published: 06:15 EDT, 4 April 2023 | Updated: 11:44 EDT, 4 April 2023
The turmoil at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse began hours before Trump’s arraignment on Tuesday when some of his fervent fans clashed with aggrieved protesters as the tension and anticipation surrounding his historic appearance bubbled over.
The former president is expected to leave Trump Tower for the downtown courthouse in Manhattan at 10.30am today, flanked by a Secret Service and NYPD motorcade that will trigger rolling road closures.
Outside Trump Tower, Democrat protesters clanged cowbells and commanded the former president to ‘wake up and smell the justice’.
At the courthouse, journalists from around the world lined up through the night to ensure their space in the courtroom. After dawn, protesters on both sides descended on the building and were separated by NYPD barricades.
Trump fan Juliet Germanotta threw herself at an anti-Trump banner and attempted to rip it up. She was met with incredulity from the protesters who’d erected it and a scrappy back-and-forth ensued.
‘You’re on the wrong side!’ yelled the anti-Trump crowd, grabbing at the flag that the woman was trying to remove in a clumsy tug of war.
A second Trump fan was heard yelling: ‘Get out of here you old bag of bones!’
Pushing herself into her counterpart’s face, the Trump fan then threatened quietly: ‘I have COVID!’
Elsewhere, a man carrying a sound boom and backpack angrily threatened others not to ‘f**k with him’. It’s unclear if he worked for a media outlet.