Demonstrators clash with police during protest in Virginia

A rubbish lorry has been set on fire as protesters faced off with police in Virginia during a demonstration in support of protesters in Portland, Oregon.

Police worked to clear the crowd of a several hundred protesters late on Saturday and declared an “unlawful assembly” at around 11pm local time. What appeared to be tear gas was deployed to disperse the group.

Protesters had been planning the demonstration called Richmond Stands With Portland for days, news outlets reported, in an apparent reaction to ongoing tensions between protesters and US agents at the federal courthouse in Oregon’s largest city.

Weeks of nationwide unrest have struck several US cities since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Saturday’s protest in Richmond started at a park and then demonstrators marched to police headquarters, according to news outlets.

Police tweeted a photo of rocks, batteries and other items the department said were thrown at its officers during the protest. A video also showed an officer setting a mattress on fire in the middle of a road.

Glass windows were also shattered at a Chipotle restaurant and accommodation at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.