WATCH: Protesters Boo Christie On Arrival To Presidential Announcement

What does it say about your campaign when your first press conference as an official presidential candidate draws more protesters than supporters?

Such was the situation on Tuesday, when hundreds of teachers, parents, homeowners and environmentalists showed up en masse at Livingston High School to peacefully protest Governor Chris Christie’s official announcement that he plans to run for president in 2016.

• See related article: Christie Announces Run For President

While about three hundred supporters inside the school’s gym chanted “Tell it like it is” in support of the governor, double that number gathered outside on the lawn, chanting that Christie is a “liar” and a “crook.”

When Christie’s black Yukon SUV passed the protesters on its way to the press conference area, they sent a deafening cascade of boos its way. [Watch video below]

Many of the protesters were teachers and members of the Essex County Education Association, coming from towns all across the region via their rallying point at the Livingston Mall.

Garbed in red t-shirts, they erected a huge inflatable camel that read “It’s Hump Day”, and held up signs that declared “Liar Liar, New Jersey’s On Fire” and “Exxon Loves You.”

Kathy Guner, a teacher in the Paramus School District, said that there was a vibe of fear, frustration and anxiety in the air.

“Christie has wasted taxpayer’s money time and time again here in New Jersey,” Guner told Patch. “He had lied, he has cheated… and we’re tired of it. He’s been horrible for the state, and we’re afraid of what he can do nationally.”

“Christie has a way of dealing with the public that we don’t agree with as teachers,” said Heather Bruno, a teacher in Parsippany. “We’re here to support the future of America.”

In addition to the teachers, a charter bus full of homeowners affected by Superstorm Sandy blasted the governor’s handling of the 2012 calamity. Several stated that they were still waiting to return to their storm-decimated homes.

Also present were representatives from New Jersey Citizen Action, the Sierra Club, New Jersey Working Families and Preserve Greystone.

REPUBLICAN 2016 LINEUP FACES BOOS

Christie isn’t the only Republican candidate to face protest during the kickoff days of his presidential campaign.

• Protesters supporting immigration reform heckled Jeb Bush during his campaign launch on June 15
• Donald Trump was fired from NBC after making inflammatory comments about immigrants during his presidential kickoff campaign in mid-June

Photos and video by Eric Kiefer

Video: A crowd of protesters greets Chris Christie with a round of boos and catcalls as he arrives for a press conference at Livingston High School.