One person was shot dead as protesters from rival sides clashed late on Saturday in the US city of Portland.

Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have swept the United States since the death in May of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Tensions between rival protest groups have roiled downtown Portland every night for nearly three months ever since.

The Oregon capital has seen frequent demonstrations for months that have at times turned violent.

Police said the violence took place in Portland’s downtown area.

“A political rally is caravanning throughout downtown Portland. There have been some instances of violence between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators,” Portland police said on Twitter. “Officers have intervened and in some cases made arrests.”

“I can confirm a shooting, one person deceased, in the area of SW 3rd and Alder, and that we are in the early stages of a homicide investigation,” a police representative was quoted as saying by the local media.

US President Donald Trump’s administration in July deployed federal forces to Portland to crack down on the protests.