Counterprotests overshadow white supremacist rally in Washington

The two sides insulted each other, but once the air became particularly charged, the police would rev their motorcycle engines to discourage further escalation.

To prepare for the event, the police had already separated the park with a sturdy wired fence, and allocated different groups to different sections. Two streets by the park were also cordoned off.

Elsewhere in Washington, counterprotesters dominated squares and plazas to denounce the far-right activists, whom they say are racists, xenophobes and white supremacists.

Activist groups comprising African Americans, minority ethnic groups, Muslims, women, and immigrants were seen participating in the demonstrations under the sweltering heat.