The leader of the far-right group Proud Boys has been arrested on suspicion of burning a Black Lives Matter flag in Washington DC last month.

Enrique Tarrio is facing misdemeanor destruction of property charges, according to police, after he admitted to burning a flag taken from a black church during a December rally, the BBC reports.

The arrest comes after President Trump urged his supporters to gather in the city this week for another demonstration against his unfounded claims of widespread electoral fraud.

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Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory is set to be certified by Congress on Wednesday (January 6) before he takes office on January 20.

The Proud Boys will "turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th", Tarrio said on the social media app Parle, referring to his members as "the most notorious group of extraordinary gentlemen".

Enrique Tarrio. [[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]

In an interview with The Washington Post on Monday, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, Dustin Sternbeck, said that Tarrio had been stopped shortly after he entered the district in a vehicle.

DC Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Officer Sean Hickman separately told CNN that the 36-year-old was also in unlawful possession of two devices that enable guns to hold extra bullets.

"He was charged with Destruction of Property related to an offense that occurred on Saturday, December 12, 2020 in the 900 block of 11th Street, Northwest," Hickman said.

"At the time of his arrest, he was found to be in possession of two high capacity firearm magazines. He was additionally charged with Possession of High Capacity Feeding Device."

The destruction of property charge relates to a December 12 protest in Washington DC in support of President Trump's claims of widespread electoral fraud in the 2020 election.

According to police, the mostly peaceful demonstrations ended with the arrest of three dozen people and the vandalizing of churches, with violence limited to isolated scuffles.

At the time, Tarrio told The Washington Post that he burned a Black Lives Matter flag.

"Let's make this simple," he said. "I did it."

A Proud Boys demonstration. [[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]

He claimed that he was unaware that the Asbury United Methodist Church, where the flag had allegedly flown, was predominately attended by African Americans.

Defending his actions, Tarrio said that the hats and flags of Proud Boys members have been stolen during previous demonstrations without anyone being held to account.

Tarrio and the Proud Boys were sued earlier on Monday by another black church that was vandalized in December.

The group has been accused of climbing over a fence and tearing down a Black Lives Matter sign by the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Kristen Clarke, head of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement: "Black churches and other religious institutions have a long and ugly history of being targeted by white supremacists in racist and violent attacks meant to intimidate and create fear.

"Our lawsuit aims to hold those who engage in such action accountable."

A potential hate crime charge is being considered by the city's police department, it revealed last month.

Proud Boys leader arrested for allegedly burning a Black Lives Matter flag