The US Park Police (USPP) has defended its forceful clearing of protesters for a controversial Trump photo-op on Monday.

In a statement, the agency accused “violent protestors” of “throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids”.

It denied that tear gas was used and said officers instead “employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls”.

The statement does not tally with multiple reports on the ground that day. This nearly-two hour video from Reuters shows a peaceful protest pushed back.

An investigative reporter in DC, Nathan Baca, also picked up a canister at the scene that does appear to cause irritation.