At least four people were stabbed near a gathering point for the Proud Boys, a male-chauvinist orgzation with ties to white nationalism, as pro-Trump demonstrators clashed with police and counter-protesters during a demonstration in Washington by supporters of US President Donald Trump, demanding that the results of the presidential elections be overturned.
The victims were hospitalised and probably suffered life-threatening injuries, said Washington fire spokesman Doug Buchanan, while it was not immediately clear with which groups were the attackers or the injured might have been affiliated, reported Washington Post.
The violence escalated after an evening of face-offs with counter-protesters that took place near Harry's Bar, Black Lives Matter Plaza, Franklin Square, and other spots around downtown.
The Washington DC police also said that as of 9 pm, 23 people were arrested on Saturday, including 10 who were charged with misdemeanour assaults, while six were charged with assaulting police officers and four people were charged for rioting.
Two police officers were hospitalised with moderate injuries during the clashes. Overall, eight people, including protesters and police officers, were injured.
According to The Hill, the demonstrators in the US capital marked the second time since November 3 that Trump supporters flocked to Washington to protest President-elect Joe Biden's victory and called for the results to be overturned.
People threw fireworks, causing loud explosions while police in riot gear stepped in to disperse the protesting crowd.
The demonstration comes after the US Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit filed by Texas' attorney general seeking to block vote count in four battleground states that favoured Biden.
Trump later expressed disappointment at the top court's refusal to challenge presidential vote results.
Trump continues to make debunked allegations of voter fraud in the US presidential elections, one day ahead of the Electoral College vote on December 14, which will make Biden's win official.
( With inputs from ANI )
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