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Anti-Donald Trump protesters were left bloodied and bruised after clashing with the Republican candidate 's supporters and riot police in Brazil.

The campaign descended into violence when a group calling themselves "anti-fascists" brawled with around 50 pro-Trump supporters after the two sides starting screaming at each other.

Riot police were called to the demonstration at Paulista avenue in Sao Paulo as a fight broke out.

A number of pro-Trump supporters donned masks and carried posters showing Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton behind bars.

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Dramatic footage from the scene shows left-wing being pinned to the ground by riot police and three protesters from the anti-Trump faction were arrested.

One wounded man saying there had been an "ideological confrontation".

Roberto Antonio, 28, took a truncheon blow to the head, Buzzfeed reports.

(Image: Reuters)

(Image: Reuters)

(Image: Reuters)

Pro-Trump organiser Leandro Mohallem, 26, told the website believes support for Trump is necessary for the US to prevent Clinton from coming to power, branding her as the "American Dilma".

Lawyer Mohallem is referring to former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, who was ousted on Wednesday following an impeachment process.

More than the two-thirds of the senate backed her removal from office, confirming interim president Michel Temer as the country’s leader.

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In a short speech in English, Mohallem repeated: "Make America great again."

Police formed a cordon separating the pro-Trump supporters on the road from the anti-Trump protesters to prevent further clashes.

The violence comes as Trump closes the gap in the polls between himself and rival Clinton following a surge of support from independent voters.

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The Democrat had a 12 point lead over the Republican at the beginning of the week but it has now been cut to four points less than two weeks out from the election.

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A Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Clinton now has a 48 percent slice of the vote, to Trump’s 44 percent among likely voters.

The billionaire has gained ground among independents, at the expense of candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein who now have four per cent and one per cent respectively.

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The boost came as Trump said that American broadcaster NBC’s release of the Access Hollywood tape in which he makes aggressive sexual comments about women was “certainly illegal, no question about it.”