What started out as a rally in support of the NYPD turned into a shoving match when counter protesters showed up to a "Blue Lives Matter" rally Saturday in Brooklyn.
Tempers flared as the opposing camps faced-off on the streets of Dyker Heights.
Hundreds of New Yorkers holding American flags, banners and signs marched together to show their opposition to the recent police budget cuts.
The NYPD has faced tremendous scrutiny following the death of George Floyd, which sparked weeks of Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality.
Calls to defund the police and instead provide more resources to communities of color prompted the city to slash the department’s budget.
Many at the pro-police rally said the recent spike in gun violence shows that officers are essential to safety.
Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Conservative Party candidate running for congress, helped lead the “Back the Blue” rally in Brooklyn.
A separate event in support of the NYPD was also held in Staten Island.
Later Saturday, New York City Councilman Justin Brannan, who represents the part of Brooklyn where the protest took place, offered a statement via Twitter, saying it was "clearly a political stunt designed to divide our community."
The scuffle was yet another sign of the tension the city is facing, with neither side refusing to back down.