Armed supporters of the police and anti-racism protesters squared off near the famed Kentucky Derby horse race on Saturday, as duelling demonstrations over racial justice and policing continued to grind on across US cities.

As the afternoon wore on, a large group of protesters marched toward the Churchill Downs track chanting "No Justice, No Derby" - a nod to an earlier call by activists for the historic race in Louisville, Kentucky, to be cancelled. The race was being held without spectators to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.