Skirmishes break out at chaotic Donald Trump court appearance in New York

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.

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 behaviour.”

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 court house. One group of Trump supporters waved a flag with the slogan "Trump or Death".

Pro-Trump and anti-Trump protesters wrestled with one another outside the court at 111 Center Street before the fight was broken up by police.

A burly blonde woman wearing a red "MAGA" hat faced off against a grey-haired woman wearing a hoodie reading: "Arrest Trump". The two women were chest-to-chest and shouted in each other's faces. They were tussling over a giant navy blue flag emblazoned with "TRUMP LIES ALL THE TIME".

It appeared that the pro-Trump supporter had rushed at the banner and attempting to remove it. "You're on the wrong side," a group of anti-Trump protesters shouted.

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

A group of young men wearing "black for Trump" T-shirts watched on, and counter protesters chanted "lock him up!"

The anti-Trump protesters were moved to a separate holding pen as tensions continued to flare.

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 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?

"So this makes bad precedent legally. And

it cheapens the judicial system, and it’s not good for America."

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 9am 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 weaponised prosecution” of the former president and “the misuse of the justice system in general”.

Paulina Farr travelled into the city from suburban Long Island to "show support to our president Trump".

The retired nurse said he was also at the storming of the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, and called Tuesday's protest "tremendously different". She vowed to press on: "We know the truth. I'm not afraid."

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 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.

Julie Delaurier, 66, a retired woman from Brooklyn, wearing a black t-shirt with "Arrest Trump" on it, held a mock up image of Mr Trump behind bars. She said: “I am celebrating the fact that Trump will finally see the outside of the courtroom after decades of criminal enterprise.”

But Ricardo “Ricky Superstar” Varano, a 62-year-old cashier from the Bronx, told The Telegraph: 'If he goes down I’ll go down. I’m with Donald Trump all the way. This indictment is phoney. It’s a hoax.”

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 materialise.

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

One local blogger who was second in line was offering their ticket for $10,000 on social media.

Others, like Gregory Williams, a 57-year-old Bronx resident sitting on a folding chair next to a life-size cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton, were just here to be a part of history.

“All this is just a big show,” Mr Williams said. “I got the popcorn. This is American theatre at its best.”