Democratic debate: Protesters interrupt Joe Biden during his closing segment
10 presidential hopefuls took to the stage in Houston
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The leading 10 candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination took to the debating stage, bringing heavyweights in the field Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders all on to the same stage for the first time.
The presidential hopefuls tackled healthcare, gun control, education and more, with several heated clashes between the rivals.
In the last section of the debate, former Vice President Biden was interrupted when he went to answer a question about his “most significant professional setback”.
Although it was unclear what the protest was about, people in the hall have said the demonstrators chanted: “We are DACA recipients. Our lives are at risk.”
Earlier in the debate Mr Biden had been questioned about deportations under the Barack Obama administration, a question which he deftly dodged.
He came under particular fire from Julian Castro, both over who could claim the mantle of being the true successor to Barack Obama and, controversially, over Mr Biden's memory.
Beto O'Rourke focused on gun violence and said he would institute a mandatory buyback scheme for assault rifles, saying: "Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15s."
Tonight’s candidates were: Mr Biden, Ms Warren, Mr Sanders Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, and Andrew Yang.
Catch-up on events as they happened below.
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"For a socialist you've got a lot of trust in corporate America than I do," Biden says to Sanders over corporations putting money back in to healthcare.
Sanders attacks Biden, saying he has to answer to the fact that millions of Americans are without health insurance now, including those with cancer and other decisions.
O'Rourke says that in Texas the largest provider of health coverage is local jails.
"The problem with your plan is... it leaves 10 million people uncovered," Castro says to Biden.
"The difference between what I support and what you support vice president Biden is you require them to opt-in," he says.
"Are you forgetting what you said just two minutes ago," Castro says to Biden, when the vice president refutes the Texans' claims that his plan would require people to opt-in to his healthcare system.
"I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama and I'm not," he says.
"That'd be a surprise to him," Biden responded.
Buttigieg attacks his competition for divisiveness, saying that people hate the discord in Washington and on the debate stage.
"That's called a Democratic debate," Castro responds.
"Racism in America is endemic, it is foundational," O'Rourke says.
O'Rourke references the day that slaves were first brought to the US. He has come out very strongly during the campaign to denounce the racism of Donald Trump.
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