Drag Story Hour: Rival protest groups clash at NYC library

Protesters demonstrating against a drag queen reading hour event for kids in New York City have been met by more than 100 counter-protesters.

Guardians of Divinity, who describe themselves as 'God's Army,' marched towards Jackson Heights Library, in Queens, where a Drag Story Hour event was being held on Thursday afternoon.

But they were met with a larger crowd defending the event in the latest clash in the city following a similar event last week that saw Council Member Erik Bottcher's neighbor assaulted.

Police were at the scene of the latest event keeping the two groups apart as one side paraded signs that read, 'Stop confusing our kids,' while the other side brandished rainbow umbrellas and flags.

The situation grew heated at times, with police yelling at the protesters to back up out of the streets after the group was allegedly pelted with projectiles by counter-protesters. 

Protesters came out to demonstrate against Drag Story Hour, an event where drag queens read to kids, at the Jackson Heights Library, in Queens, on Thursday 

The protest was led and promoted by the Guardians of Divinity group, who describe themselves as 'God's Army' and have held similar protests in the city 

The group brandished signs bashing the event, with counter-protesters and city officials labeling them as 'homophobic' and 'transphobic' 

Along with the Guardians of Divinity, members of the far-right Proud Boys group joined the protest outside the Queens library 

Three protesters against the drag events, which have been promoted by City Councilman Erick Bottcher (pictured sitting in on one of the events in NYC), have been arrested in December   

The story time event sees drag queens visiting libraries and reading books to children for free, something condemned by the Guardians of Divinity which has repeatedly bashed Bottcher, a gay man, for supporting it. 

The group claims that such events 'grooms children to accept sexual behavior and preferences at ages they are too young to understand.'  

Ahead of the demonstration, members of the New York City Council released a statement condemning the recent waves of protests and vandalism targeting Drag Story Hour. 

'The harmful, homophobic, and transphobic extremism targeting Drag Story Hour events and the New Yorkers who support them, including Council members, is vile and dangerous,' the statement read, referencing the assault and vandalism outside Bottcher's home last week. 

'We will not stay silent or accept these shameful attempts to intimidate and spread hate, especially after recent incidents that have devolved into violence and put New Yorkers in harm's way.' 

The statement was a joint communication from Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Bottcher, and Crystal Hudson. 

The city officials added: 'It is particularly disturbing that these anti-LGBTQIA+ protesters have focused their harassment in Jackson Heights and Chelsea, two neighborhoods with historical importance as safe communities and centers of organizing for the LGBTQIA+ movement in New York City.'  

Counter-protesters brandished a 'NYC Loves Drag Story Hour' sign in support of the event

Pictured: A counter-protestor waving signs that read 'Drag the bigotry away' 

Police arrived at the scene outside the Jackson Heights Library to separate the protesting groups, with those in support of it flashing rainbow umbrellas and flags 

The counter-protesters were lined up in front of the library on Thursday afternoon 

Last week, protesters hurled obscenities and slurs outside the event at the Andrew Heiskell Library in the Chelsea neighborhood, according to video shared by Bottcher. 

'Today I witnessed pure hatred and bigotry outside Drag Queen Story Hour at a public library in Chelsea. Inside, I witnessed a loving and peaceful reading of children's books to kids,' Bottcher tweeted.

In recent months, similar events across the country have drawn increasingly heated protests from groups alleging that they are intended to sexually 'groom' young children. 

The New York Public Library had billed the Chelsea event as 'story time with local drag performers adapted to be more accessible to kids with autism and other disabilities.'

There were no reports of injuries or property damage at the protest, and no arrests were made by NYPD officers who were on the scene for safety. 

Protesters hurled obscenities and anti-gay slurs outside a drag queen story hour at the Andrew Heiskell Library in the Chelsea neighborhood on Saturday

However, a follow up protest that targeted the apartment building of Bottcher did turn violent, with police arresting a 33-year-old man for attacking one of the councilman's neighbors, the Daily Beast reports. 

Video shared by Bottcher shows the neighbor trading jabs with two protesters, and when he walks away, one of them charges at him and tackles him off the sidewalk. 

The arrest comes after Erica Sanchez, 44, from the Bronx, and D'Anna Morgan, 27, were taken into custody for trespassing and vandalizing Bottcher's office. 

Erica Sanchez, 44, of the Bronx, and D'Anna Morgan, 27, of Queens, (both pictured) were arrested for criminally trespassing 42-year-old Councilman Erik Bottcher's office and apartment on Monday

Earlier this month, a man was arrested and charged in an altercation with a cop during similar protests at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Midtown Manhattan.

Chase Catapano, 28, was charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, attempted assault, and obstructing governmental administration.

Catapano was seen beefing with cops as well as the group protesting the drag queen event, though it appears he was not at the library specifically for the event and was swept up into the heated drama.

He appears to be homeless, and his father told the Daily News that he often uses the library's computers and likely became upset at the disruption due to mental illness. 

However, unbeknownst to Catapano, among the mob of protesters were several officers sent to monitor the demonstration, stationed inconspicuously throughout the crowd.

Capatana was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, harassment, attempted assault and obstructing governmental administration, police said