Egypt's army has deployed tanks outside the presidential palace after a night of deadly clashes between opponents and supporters of President Mohamed Morsi.
Three tanks and three armoured personnel carriers were stationed metres from the front gate of the palace in northern Cairo on Thursday as hundreds of Morsi's partisans chanted slogans in support of the president.
The military pledged on Thursday not to use violence against protesters.
General Mohammed Zaki, head of the Republican Guard tasked with protecting the president, said that "the armed forces, and the Republican Guard, will not be an instrument of oppression against protesters," the official MENA news agency reported.
Egypt's army will clear protesters still outside the presidential palace at 1300 GMT (0000 AEDT) and ban any demonstrations near the complex after deadly overnight clashes, the presidency said in a statement.
"The Republican Guard has decided to clear the area around the presidential palace at 1500 local time and ban protests around institutions belonging to the presidency," the statement said.
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