Shouting “Shame!, Shame! Shame,” anti-Trump protesters awaited the President as he returned to New York City Monday night for the first time since taking office.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the President’s motorcade pulled up to Trump Tower, but approached from a direction that bypassed the thousands of demonstrators.
Hours before, protesters and a small group of supporters, lined up across the street from Trump Tower and the nearby blocks on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
As supporters carrying American flags shouted “God bless President Trump,” anti-Trump protesters chanted, “No KKK, No Fascist USA, No Trump!”
Three people were arrested amid the protests at Trump Tower Monday evening, NYPD Detective Hubert Reyes told CNN. All three have been charged with reckless engagement, obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, Reyes said.
The protests come two days after clashes broke out Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, as counterprotesters met white nationalists and other right-wing groups at the site of the “Unite the Right” event. Counterprotester Heather Heyer was killed when a gray Dodge Challenger rammed into a crowd walking down a street.
Trump, facing mounting bipartisan pressure, condemned white supremacists and neo-Nazis in a brief statement to reporters at an event at the White House on Monday.
But many say the President was two days too late.
‘Feels good to be home’
Shortly after Trump arrived in New York, he declared on Twitter, “Feels good to be home after seven months, but the White House is very special, there is no place like it… and the U.S. is really my home!”
But after a day where he finally called out the KKK and neo-Nazis by name following criticism of his statement on Saturday, two other tweets drew attention Monday night. Shortly before leaving the White House he wrote, “Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied…truly bad people!”
Then, late Monday night, he retweeted alt-right figure Jack Posbiac, who helped push the Pizzagate story. “Meanwhile: 39 shootings in Chicago this weekend, 9 deaths. No national media outrage. Why is that?”
Amid the protests in New York, die hard Trump supporter Mario Laboy acknowledged that Trump should have denounced white supremacy sooner, but said he still has faith in the President.
“I’ve been here every day. I’m going to be here tomorrow, I’m going to be here Wednesday. I’m going to be here every day to support Trump. Like I told you before, I said Mr. President you are wrong,” he told CNN.
“It’s only been six months. It’s four years, he’s going to do the correct job. Condemning those neo Nazis, white supremacists and bringing the people together black, Hispanic and everyone…”
