A man he set himself on fire yesterday in New York, in front of the eyes of passing protesters and police officers guarding the court in which the criminal trial of Donald Trump was underway.

An eyewitness said he first saw the man throwing leaflets in the air and then saw him douse himself in a jerrycan and set himself on fire. “At that point I thought, ‘Oh my God, what are my eyes going to see?'” the witness told Reuters.

The witness, who declined to give his last name, said the man was engulfed in flames for several minutes.

“I see before me a complete charred man,” a CNN reporter said on live television.

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A smell of smoke remained at the scene shortly after the incident, according to another Reuters eyewitness, while a police officer sprayed the ground with a fire extinguisher.

Next to the charred man could be seen a smoldering backpack and a gas canister.

A pamphlet seen by Reuters reporters read phrases such as “evil billionaires” and called on people to “expose this corruption”. There was no mention of Trump in that pamphlet.

At the courthouse in midtown Manhattan, guarded by a heavy police presence, crowds of protesters gathered on Monday, the first day of Trump’s trial. However since then the number gathered has decreased.

Dave, an eyewitness, told Reuters that some protesters pro-Trump supporters outside the courthouse dispersed when the man set himself on fire.

The incident came shortly after jury selection for Trump’s trial was completed, paving the way for prosecutors and defense attorneys to make opening statements next week.

In that case, Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of falsifying documents to hide money he paid former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.