WASHINGTON – The burning of a flag in front of the White House led to a scuffle between protesters and President Donald Trump supporters during Independence Day celebrations in the nation's capital.

Gregory Lee Johnson, who had been the lead plaintiff in the 1984 Supreme Court protecting flag-burning as a First Amendment expression of speech, had burned a flag as part of a demonstration.

Johnson was one of two people arrested after a confrontation took place.

Some members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, an American communist party, had formed a cordon of about a dozen people around Johnson as he ignited the flag, chanting "America was never great."

Trump supporters, some wearing hats emblazoned with Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, charged the circle, causing the flag burners to topple over. With some Revolutionary Communist group members on the ground, a man wearing a red, sleeveless "Make America Great Again" shirt picked up the flag and attempted to stamp out the fire.

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Some of the counter-protesters seen in the tussle were wearing hats and shirts that identified themselves as members of the Proud Boys, a far-right organization whose members describe themselves as "western chauvinists."

"I am going to D.C. on the Fourth of July and I’m going to burn the flag in protest (of his) whole fascist agenda," Johnson had told USA TODAY earlier this week.

Another unidentified protester then attempted to ignite a second flag, as protesters chanted "burn, baby, burn!"

Law enforcement officers on the scene extinguished the flames.

"Getting arrested was not a part of the plan," said Noche Diaz, one of the protesters, though he himself was not arrested.

Police then moved everyone out of Lafayette Park in front of the White House, and the Proud Boys chanted “Trump 2020” while exiting.

Julia McMurray, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, confirmed that one person was arrested for felony assault on a police officer and malicious burning, and another person was arrested for obstructing a police investigation and resisting arrest.

One protester, as well as two Secret Service officers, were transported to a local hospital to treat minor injuries. The other individual was brought to the 2nd District Metropolitan Police Department for processing.

Contributing: Max Cohen, Olivia Sanchez

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