Trump’s arraignment: The scene outside the Miami courthouse

Miami, Florida- Surrounded by journalists, a man dressed as Uncle Sam sang an ode to former President Donald Trump and his supporters on a hoverboard.

On an otherwise quiet morning outside the federal courthouse in Miami, Florida, where Trump will be arraigned Tuesday, Uncle Sam’s act drew a frenzy from reporters and photographers.

Local officials said they are preparing for protests around the courthouse where Trump will be formally presented with the 37 criminal counts he faces — all related to mishandling classified documents.

Trump, who is seeking the White House again in 2024, has denied the allegations and dismissed them as an attempt by his enemies to derail his campaign.

Concerns have been raised about political violence and far-right protesters in Miami and fears of scenes similar to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, when Trump supporters stormed the building to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory .

But hours before Trump was due to arrive at court, only a few — often eccentric, if not idiosyncratic — supporters of the former president had turned up. By noon, reporters far outnumbered protesters on the scene.

A man dressed in an American flag held a pig’s head on a point and smiled at the camera as blood and other fluids dripped from the animal’s head. He said it was a reference to Lord of the Flies, a 1954 novel by William Golding that explores leadership, violence and chaos.

Duane Schwingel, who was dressed as Uncle Sam with a top hat and American flag-themed coat, pants and bow tie, said he was at the courthouse delivering a message in support of “freedom, democracy, fight against communism” and “equal application of justice”.

Nearly all of the Trump supporters interviewed by Al Jazeera cited alleged scandals by Democrats that they say went unpunished: Hillary Clinton’s emails, Hunter Biden’s business dealings, Biden’s own problem with keeping classified documents.

While each of these controversies has its own nuances and some were investigated by law enforcement, the predominant feeling among Trump’s backers is that he is being unfairly singled out, while others are being let go.

“I want to remind people that regardless of which party you are from, we should all be treated the same. And there’s evidence against Hillary and evidence against Biden, but they haven’t been charged,” Chaunce O’Connor, who rode a bike while carrying a giant Trump flag, told Al Jazeera.

Despite Trump’s hostility to the mainstream media, the protesters who supported him on Tuesday were mostly friendly and jovial.

There was a brief security alert when a suspicious device was found and journalists were asked to clear an area outside the court. Police moved what appeared to be a television screen with an anti-media slogan on it and declared the area safe.

A trailer showing digitally altered images of top Democrats — including Biden and Clinton — behind bars circled the courthouse all morning.

More than a dozen African-American protesters wearing shirts that read “Blacks for Trump” chanted the president’s name as helicopters hovered over the building.

The few protesters were scattered around the courthouse, not gathered as a single unit.

Bob Kunst sat behind a sign that read “Lock Biden up,” on a sidewalk a short distance from the heart of the action outside the building.

He said he is a registered Democrat, but the party has become “fascist” and is doing everything it can to stop Trump. Kunst added that the charges against Trump are a distraction from real problems.

While campaigning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Trump will face federal charges and a New York criminal case related to a hush money payment to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

Kunst said the legal troubles will help Trump “hugely”, not just with Republicans.

“There are a lot of Democrats like me who are really angry. Why are we going through this?” he said.

One Trump supporter who chose to identify himself by the first name Jay said he came all the way from Texas to support Trump during his trial.

“By being here, I hope he will know that we love and support him,” said the protester, who dismissed the allegations as part of a years-long campaign to “get” the former president.

Asked how the charges could affect Trump’s chances in 2024, he said, “Trump will win big and become our next president.”