Drag Story Hour Protesters Plead Guilty In Council Member Trespass

MIDTOWN, NY — Two anti-drag story hour protesters who broke into and vandalized Council Member Erik Bottcher's Manhattan apartment building have pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, the West Side rep announced Wednesday. .

Erica Sanchez, 44, and Anna Morgan, 27, were also given orders to stay away from Bottcher for two years as of their March 8 plea, unless at a public event, Bottcher said.

"These people crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed," Bottcher told Patch. "It must be made clear this will not be tolerated."

"Their intention was to intimidate and scare us into silence. Their plan has backfired because our support for Drag Story Hour and for the LGBTQ community is stronger than ever."

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On Dec. 19, Sanchez and Morgan were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing for breaking into Bottcher's building, according to police.

They were part of a group called "Guardians of Divinity," a far-right group that formed during the anti-vax movement, according to multiple reports, which has been one of the main protest arms behind the sudden frenzy surrounding family-oriented drag story hour events that have gone on peacefully for years in New York City.

The group also vandalized Bottcher's district office that December evening in addition to his West 30th Street residence, scrawling hateful messages on the sidewalk and inside his building.

One protester physically attacked a neighbor, Bottcher said. David Nieves of Brooklyn was later arrested in connection to the incident, according to reports.

An order of protection was granted for Bottcher which states that Sanchez and Morgan are required to stay away from Bottcher, "including his home and place of employment," according to a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney's office Bottcher shared on his Instagram page.

That order does not restrict the pair from attending public events or protests. At least Morgan have been spotted at anti-drag protests since the arrest.