Bill Cosby received a standing ovation from a Canadian crowd in his first show since sexual assault allegations against him as protesters gathered outside in an attempt to shame attendees during performances in Ontario this week.

Cosby said he had a “wonderful time,” and Canadian fans had been very polite to him during his first show after a string allegations involving 15 women who say that he would often drug women and sexually assault them, according to a Billboard.com report.

Protesters endured the freezing weather in Kitchener in an attempt to shame the ticket-holders, who were attending Cosby’s first live appearance after 10 performances in North America had been cancelled. His last live show had been in November.

The crowd laughed throughout the show, and no one heckled the aging comedian, best known for being TV dad Cliff Huxtable on the Cosby Show.

Cosby wore a sweater that said “hello friend.” He thanked the crowd before starting into his routine with some jokes about the weather. He departed to a standing ovation that started slowly, according to the report.

In a statement issued through his publicist after the show, Cosby thanked fans for “giving me the opportunity to bring laughter back into your lives tonight,” and also thanked them for “respecting themselves.”

Some ticket-holders did boycott the performance, however, leaving the 2,000-seat theater about two-thirds full. Police officers and security guards were posted in the building to deal with any potential disruptions.

The protesters outside carried signs with messages such as “rape is no joke” and “shame on you.” Some protesters even blocked the doors of the venue until they were asked to leave.

Fans who showed up at the theater were more willing to defense Cosby, with one individual saying that he was skeptical of the accusations, and questioned why the women were coming forward decades later.

Another man said that Cosby was “innocent until proven guilty,” and that he hopes the allegations are not true.

Cosby is set to appear at the Budweiser Gardens today in London, Ontario. He will then appear at the Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton on Friday.

The Cosby Show ran from 1984 to 1992, where Cosby earned the reputation for being “America’s Dad.” Sexual assault allegations have been made against him before — a 2005 lawsuit by a Pennsylvania woman was settled out of court — but he was never charged in connection with any allegations.

The women who have come forward said Cosby molested them beginning with his rise to stardom in the 1970s, often drugging them first.

Phylicia Rashad, who played Cliff Huxtable’s wife Claire on the TV series, said the allegations against Cosby are part of a dedicated smear campaign. Her comments earned her some notoriety, especially after she reportedly said about the accusers: “forget these women.”