SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Campaign staff and volunteers for Juanita Perez Williams crashed an event for Ben Walsh Thursday, chanting in Spanish and waving signs as Walsh and others spoke.

Walsh hosted a press conference in front of Westcott Theater along with about 20 Democrats to announce a new group called "Dems for Ben." Across the street, nearly as many Perez Williams volunteers and staff waved signs, whooped and shouted "Vote for Juanita!"

Leading the crowd was Perez Williams' campaign manager, Dan Kolinski.

"Is there something going on here today?" Kolinski said, coyly, prior to the start of Walsh's event. "We're just here to show support for Juanita."

The Walsh event was announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

At the press conference, Khristopher Dodson explained the creation of "Dems for Ben," a group of city Democrats supporting Walsh's mayoral campaign. Walsh is not affiliated with a political party. The group included a handful of employees from Democrat-controlled City Hall, among others.

Perez Williams is the Democratic candidate for mayor.

As Dodson began to speak, the people across the street let loose a loud chant of "Si se pueda!" which roughly translates to "Yes we can!"

At the same time, drivers in cars rolled by, honking and shouting "Vote for Juanita!" Nancy Keefe Rhodes -- an ardent Perez Williams supporter -- stood among the Walsh crowd, filming or taking pictures with her phone.

Staff and volunteers with the Juanita Perez Williams campaign hold signs and chant slogans across the street from an event for Ben Walsh. In the foreground, Nancy Keefe Rhodes takes a picture of the Walsh event.

Dodson rose his voice to speak over the group.

"There are certainly more people standing behind us than there are across the street from us," Dodson said. "I think that's a positive thing."

After about a minute of chanting, Bob Dougherty, a former Common Councilor who supports Walsh, crossed the street to speak with the Perez Williams people. He shook some hands and spoke with them.

He said afterward he asked them to hold their shouting while people were speaking, giving everyone a chance to be heard, and they obliged. He asked for civility, and they gave it, he said. The Perez Williams group remained relatively tame throughout the remainder press conference, breaking back into chants again once it finished.

Walsh mostly shrugged off the demonstrators.

"The folks that are standing up here, this takes courage," he said. "You can see around you that it's hard to step out of your comfort zone, to do something other than what's expected of you."

Candidates from each major party have labeled Walsh as being an agent for the opposing party. He comes from a family of well-known local Republicans and sought that party's nomination early on. He also worked for six years in the administration of Mayor Stephanie Miner, a Democrat.

On Monday, a speaker at a Perez Williams press conference called Walsh a "Republican in sheep's clothing," a phrase the Democratic Party chairman has also used. Also Monday, Republican candidate Laura Lavine said electing Walsh or Perez Williams would signal a continuation of Miner's Democratic economic policies.