New York City police have erected metal barriers around Trump Tower and closed roads near the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in anticipation of possible protests ahead of Donald Trump’s expected to surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday.
The former president is scheduled to be arraigned in court Tuesday afternoon, following his indictment in a grand jury investigation into hush money paid to a porn star. He is the first former President of the United States to face criminal charges.
Trump has called the investigation a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, have said they will protest in New York on Tuesday. The downtown courthouse, which houses the criminal and supreme courts, will close some courtrooms ahead of Trump’s expected appearance, according to a court official.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), there are no credible threats to the city.
According to Site Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism, some social media users have called for the execution of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the jury that indicted Trump.
Following Trump’s false claim that he had won the previous election, his supporters stormed the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021, sparking a deadly riot.
Many Trump supporters, however, have expressed concern about public demonstrations, even after Trump called for them, fearing arrest.
The NYPD said in a statement, “(The) department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone can peacefully exercise their rights.”
Trump is expected to fly to New York from Florida on Monday and spend the night at Trump Tower before arriving at the courthouse early Tuesday morning, according to a Trump adviser.
While the spectacle of the former president facing criminal charges was bound to generate a lot of media attention, it is unclear whether his appearance would draw a lot of protesters. While Trump is a native New Yorker, he received only 23% of the city’s vote in 2020, compared to 18% in 2016.
The New York Young Republican Club has announced plans for a protest in a park across the street from the courthouse, which Greene, one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Congress, has said she will attend.
Greene said on Twitter, “Protesting is a constitutional right,” adding that she would “protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference.” She stated that she is opposed to anyone who incites or commits violence. The grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the final days of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign before voting to indict him.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has claimed she was paid to remain silent about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter.
A court official told Reuters that courtrooms on higher floors of the courthouse will close at 1 p.m., shortly before Trump’s scheduled arraignment at 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT).
Many court cases, according to the official, will be adjourned at a building across the street from the courthouse.
