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Pennsylvania protester spits on NYC police officer's face, yells 'f**k you, fascist' as over 50 get arrested

24-year-old Devina Singh was caught on camera screaming at an officer in Manhattan before spitting

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A radical anti-Trump protester who spat on a police officer's face has been arrested and charged as mass protests took place in major cities across the country in light of the 2020 US presidential election that is beset by uncertainty. 24-year-old Devina Singh was caught on camera screaming "f*** you fascist" at an officer in Manhattan before spitting on his face and risking infecting him with the coronavirus. She was immediately thrown to the ground and arrested, the Daily Mail reported. Singh, of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, was one of over 50 people who were arrested during a night plagued with unrest. She was charged with obstruction of governmental administration and harassment, per the outlet.

Footage of Singh spitting at the officer went viral on social media before it was condemned by the NYPD and several police unions. "Actions like this will not be tolerated. Agitators who commit these acts will be arrested," the NYPD tweeted alongside the video. "This despicable behavior won't be tolerated! This after setting fires & destroying property," NYPD detectives union the Detectives' Endowment Association added. "We know law-abiding NYers don't want their cops treated like this. Now we need every elected official to publicly condemn it."

Police said Singh has previous arrests for unlawful assembly and resisting arrest. They explained that the night began with peaceful demonstrations to "count every vote" in the presidential election after President Donald Trump sued to stop votes from being counted after polls were closed in key battleground states. However, authorities said the protest was soon "hijacked" by aggressive militant groups who lit fires and threw garbage and eggs at officers.

There is still no clear winner in the 2020 election more than 24 hours after polls closed. Officials have said counting is still underway in several key swing states owing to an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots, which the president has deemed vulnerable to voter fraud. His Democrat challenger Joe Biden has almost clinched victory, but Trump has issued a series of lawsuits in disputed states alleging large-scale foul play.

Trump supporters have descended at controversial polling stations in key states of Michigan and Arizona in order to oversee the counts and ensure only legitimate ballots are counted. Meanwhile, anti-Trumpers have gathered in Democrat-controlled cities — including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Philadelphia — to demand that every vote be counted.

While there have not been reports of widespread violence of the kind that took place during the George Floyd protests, the prolonged uncertainty of the election has increased the risk of civil unrest. What's more? It could be days, or even weeks, before a clear winner is declared. Hundreds of anti-Trump protests have been organized across the country. In Michigan, violent protests were sparked in Detroit after Trump supporters gathered at a ballot-tallying center to urge officials to stop the counting of votes. Other protests about the election and racial injustice took place in Seattle, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and San Diego.