Two people have been arrested after a violent clash between Trump supporters and a group of communists following a flag burning in front of the White House yesterday.

Protesters wearing t-shirts of Bob Avakian, chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party USA, burned the American flag while chanting “America was never great” before fighting with counter-protesters wearing MAGA hats, according to USA Today.

The arrests came about two hours before Donald Trump paid tribute to the US military during a speech for his “Salute to America” event for Fourth of July.

The US Secret Service said one person was arrested for felony assault on a police officer and malicious burning, while the other was arrested for hindering a police investigation and resisting arrest.

Some of the pro-Trump counter-protesters identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group whose members describe themselves as “western chauvinists”.

Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Show all 7 1 /7 Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Who is the revolutionary flag burner? While the president held an Independence Day celebration, a group of communist revolutionaries held a protest outside of the White House. One man, Gregory Lee Johnson, set fire to a US flag Reuters Who is the revolutionary flag burner? As it happens, Johnson is a serial flag burner. He has burned countless flags at protests over the years, he is shown above burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in 2016 Reuters Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Johnson [R] is seen in 1989 with lawyer William Kunstler, who represented him in a Supreme Court case that led to laws against flag burning being invalidated under the first amendment Joel Seidenstein Who is the revolutionary flag burner? The case, Texas v. Johnson, was brought after Johnson burned a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas in 1984 Reuters Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Following the Supreme Court decision, Congress passed a new law making flag burning illegal so Johnson [circled] and three other protesters burned US flags on the steps of the US Capitol Building Bettmann Archive via Getty Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Johnson and a fellow protester were detained after the flag burning on Independence Day Reuters Who is the revolutionary flag burner? Johnson's views on the flag have not changed with the years, he recently told ABC news: "Today in the US, it’s the same flag and the nationalistic chauvinism is even worse" Reuters

Two uniformed Secret Service officers also suffered minor injuries while attempting to make the arrests.

Although it is not illegal to burn a US flag, the Secret Service said the burning occurred beyond the limits of a permit issued by the National Park Service.

One of the arrested flag burners is believed to be Gregory “Joey” Johnson, a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party who won a court case in 1989 arguing that flag burning was protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Speaking on 3 July outside the White House, Mr Johnson said: “[The US flag] is a symbol of empire, it’s a symbol of oppression, it’s a symbol of slavery, it’s a symbol of genocide, it’s a symbol of invasion, it’s a symbol of occupation, it’s a symbol of torture. This rag of empire deserves to be burned.”

Mr Trump has been accused of wasting money with the Salute to America event and politicising the Fourth of July celebration ahead of his 2020 presidential campaign.

The National Park Service diverted nearly $2.5m (£2m) in entrance and recreation fees intended for improving parks to cover costs for the event, according to the Washington Post.

However, the full cost of the event, which was open to the public free of charge, has not been revealed.

Despite the clashes earlier in the day, demonstrations at the Lincoln Memorial were largely peaceful.