Portland protests: 13 arrested and six injured as far-Right and anti-fascist groups clash in US city

At least 13 people have been arrested in Portland, as hundreds of far-Right protesters and left-wing counter-demonstrators clashed in the US city.

Police seized metal poles and other weapons and closed bridges and streets to try to keep the rival groups apart.

At least six people suffered minor injuries and one person was taken to hospital in the skirmishes.

Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said those arrested faced charges including disorderly conduct, interfering with police, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon.

At the height of the demonstrations there were around 1,200 people on the streets of the Oregon city centre, she told a news conference.

The rally had been promoted by Joe Biggs, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group and former employee of Alex Jones's Infowars.

Proud Boys, which US civil rights organisation The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as a “hate group”, have been involved in previous far-right rallies, and violent street clashes in Portland.

The right-wing group were calling for anti-fascist group ‘antifa’ to be declared a domestic terror organisation.

Leaders of the right-wing groups vowed to return to Portland, saying they would keep coming back to the liberal West Coast city for as long as antifa remains active.

President Donald Trump weighed in early on Saturday, writing on Twitter that "Portland is being watched very closely... Hopefully the Mayor will be able to properly do his job."

He also wrote that "major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an `ORGANIZATION of TERROR."'

It wasn't immediately clear what he meant by his remarks since there's no mechanism for the United States government to declare a domestic organisation a terror group.

However, his comments prompted Mr Biggs to label the rally a success.

"Go look at President Trump's Twitter," he told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"He talked about Portland, said he's watching antifa. That's all we wanted.”

At the evening news conference Portland's mayor Ted Wheeler said the right-wing activist was not welcome.

"We do not want him here in my city. Period," he said.

Mr Wheeler tied the demonstrations to "a rising white nationalist movement" and a growing sense of fear in the country.

"We're certainly seeing that play out," he said. "Portland being a very progressive community is always going to be at or near ground zero of this battle."