Rival groups square off at Kentucky Derby, Rochester police use tear gas

A man stands with a semiautomatic rifle during a rally against the death of Breonna Taylor and other forms of racial injustices, in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., June 27, 2020. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Reuters) - Armed police supporters and anti-racism demonstrators clashed in Louisville on Saturday before the Kentucky Derby horse race, while Rochester police used tear gas to disperse protesters, as discord in cities across the United States continued to simmer.

In the afternoon, hundreds of protesters marched toward the Churchill Downs track in Lousiville chanting "No Justice, No Derby" - a nod to activists' calls to cancel the annual race, which was being held without spectators because of the coronavirus.