A street vendor grills corn as Egyptian soldiers stand guard at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, December 18, in Cairo. Protesters opposed to President Mohamed Morsy's first round of voting in the constitutional referendum gather during continuing demonstrations.
Cairo (CNN) -- Protesters marching on Egypt's presidential palace Tuesday night broke through barbed wire around the building and hurled chairs and rocks at retreating police.
Officers lobbed tear gas back at them.
iReport: Time 'running out' for Morsy says protester
After initial clashes, police drew behind fences and protests were peaceful for several hours.
More violence broke out at the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party in Menia, south of Cairo. At least 19 protesters were injured, according to Mahmoud Amin, who is in charge of ambulance operations outside the palace.
Egypt's prime minister on turmoil
Pro-Morsy supporters turn out in force
Islamists call for Morsy support rally
Massive pro-Morsy rally in Egypt
The Freedom and Justice Party -- an Islamist political group that has links to the Muslim Brotherhood -- is the party of President Mohamed Morsy.
Party head Dr. Hussein Sultan said the front of the headquarters is damaged, and at least one protester fired a shot in the air.
Egypt's Health Ministry said at least 50 ambulances had been dispatched to locations around Cairo, including 20 to the presidential palace. Hospitals were placed on high alert in anticipation of injured protesters, the ministry said.
Many in Egypt believe a new draft constitution in the country, which will be put to a popular vote on December 15, is unfair in its wording, and is an attempt by Morsy to grab more power.
Morsy was not at the palace when the protesters descended, his office said. He was out meeting with government officials, they said.
The protests cap a day of silent protest by media organizations opposing the country's new draft constitution and an edict Morsy issued nearly two weeks ago to expand his powers.
They feel the constitution does not sufficiently protect freedom of the press and, on Tuesday, a dozen partisan and privately-owned papers were not on the newsstands in protest.
Four Egyptian satellite channels are expected to go off the air on Wednesday in solidarity.
Freedom and Justice Party media adviser Murad Ali warned that organizers of the protest outside the palace could face consequences.
They "must bear the responsibility of the demonstrations they called, and bear full responsibility for any violence that may result from poor organization," he said.
Journalist Sarah Sirgany in Cairo and CNN's Ben Brumfield in Atlanta contributed to this report.
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration at the Presidential Palace on December 18 in Cairo.
An Egyptian woman types on her laptop before the start of a demonstration opposing President Mohamed Morsy on December 18 in Cairo.
People make their way through a market place on Monday, December 17, in Cairo.
A supporter of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood holds Quran as he shouts during a demonstration in Cairo on Friday, December 14.
Women pray during a demonstration in support of President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on December 14.
Egyptian army tanks are deployed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday, December 13. Egypt's crisis showed no sign of easing as the army delayed unity talks meant to ease political divisions and the opposition set near-impossible demands for taking part in a looming constitutional referendum.
Girls walk with Egypt's national flag draped over their backs to a rally for supporters of President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on Tuesday, December 11.
Protesters on December 11 attempt to bring down cement walls that security forces placed around the presidential palace in Cairo.
Security forces stand guard in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on December 11.
Protesters opposed to Egypt's president demonstrate on top of a barricade erected by the Egyptian army to protect the presidential palace in Cairo on December 11.
A young protester climbs atop a barricade erected by the Egyptian army on December 11. There were no incidents of violence and soldiers held the line as a couple of hundred protesters pressed up against waist-high crowd barriers.
Protesters remove part of a metal barrier protecting the presidential palace on December 11.
Egyptian army troops stand guard in front of a metal barricade on December 11.
An Egyptian army soldier patrols outside the Egyptian presidential palace on Monday, December 10, in Cairo. The Egyptian political crisis erupted last month when President Mohamed Morsy issued an edict allowing himself to run the country unchecked until the drafting of a new constitution.
Members of the Egyptian opposition gather for a protest outside the presidential palace on Sunday, December 9, in Cairo. The palace has been the scene of violent clashes pitting thousands of protesters -- for and against Morsy.
Guy Fawkes masks are displayed by a street vendor in front of the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on December 9. The masks depict Fawkes, a rebel executed in England's Gunpowder Plot seeking to blow up the House of Lords in the early 1600s.
Egyptian army engineers and soldiers build a third line of concrete blocks outside of the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo in preparation for more protests on December 9.
An Egyptian protester sweeps the street near army tanks deployed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on December 8, after continued protests overnight.
A sticker depicting Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy reads "leave" on the ground near the presidential palace on December 8.
Egyptian soldiers take position on a road leading to the presidential palace on December 8.
A protester tries to climb over a barbed-wire fence as Egyptian soldiers stand guard during a demonstration near the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday, December 7.
Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy and members of the Muslim Brotherhood shout during the funerals of fellow Morsy supporters at Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo on December 7.
Protesters angry over Morsy's decisions giving himself unchecked powers surround the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo after starting a fire inside the compound on Thursday, December 6.
Riot police form a line as anti-Morsy protesters surge around the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo on December 6.
An anti-Morsy protester shouts during a march to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on December 6.
Protesters are blocked from approaching the the presidential palace by the Egyptian army on December 6 in Cairo.
Egyptian soldiers stand outside the presidential palace in Cairo after setting up barbed wire barricades on December 6.
Supporters of Morsy clash with anti-Morsy protesters outside the Egyptian presidential palace on Wednesday, December 5, in Cairo.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsy supporters destroy tents of anti-Morsy protesters outside the presidential palace on December 5.
Morsy supporters carry an injured man to safety during clashes with anti-Morsy demonstrators on a road leading to the Egyptian presidential palace on December 5.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Morsy clash with anti-Morsy demonstrators on a road leading to the Egyptian presidential palace on December 5.
Egyptian riot police stand behind barbwire as thousands of Egyptian demonstrators march to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, December 4.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators encircled the presidential palace in Cairo after riot police failed to keep them at bay with tear gas on December 4.
An Egyptian woman waves a national flag as demonstrators march to the presidential palace in Cairo on December 4.
A Morsy supporter waves a flag outside the Supreme Constitutional Court as hundreds of supporters of the president protest on Sunday, December 2, in Cairo, forcing judges to postpone a hearing on a constitutional panel at the heart of a deepening political crisis.
Supporters of Morsy pray outside the Supreme Constitutional Court on December 2.
A man kisses a portrait of Morsy during a gathering of thousands of Islamists in front of Cairo University on Saturday, December 1.
Thousands pray during a rally in support of Morsy in front of Cairo University on December 1.
An Egyptian man delivers a speech as protesters gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, November 30.
A man shouts as protesters gather in Tahrir Square on November 30.
A man holds a copy of the Quran and a cross in Tahrir Square on November 30.
Protesters run from Egyptian riot police during clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday, November 28.
A protester carries a rock during clashes with police on Wednesday.
Egyptians carry a giant national flag as tens of thousands take part in a mass rally in Cairo on Tuesday, November 27, against a decree by President Mohamed Morsy granting himself broad powers.
An Egyptian protester holds up a Quran and a figure of Christ on the cross during Tuesday's demonstration.
Protesters continue to rally in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.
An Egyptian protester attempts to throw back a tear gas canister on Tuesday during clashes with riot police in Omar Makram Street, off Tahrir Square.
Activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday, November 26, carry the coffin of Gaber Salah, an activist who died overnight after he was critically injured in clashes in Cairo. Salah, a member of the April 6 movement known by his nickname "Jika," was injured last week during confrontations between police and protesters on Cairo's Mohammed Mahmud street.
Thousands of activists attend the funeral of Gaber Salah on Monday.
Protesters clash with Egyptian police at Simon Bolivar Square on Sunday, November 25, in Cairo. Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood called nationwide demonstrations in support of Islamist President Mohamed Morsy in his showdown with the judges over the path to a new constitution.
Egyptian protesters hurl stones at police at Tahrir Square on Sunday.
Protesters gather at sit-in tents in Tahrir Square on Sunday.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy waves to supporters in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday, November 23. Thousands of ecstatic supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to defend their leader against accusations from rival protesters that he has become a dictator.
Morsy supporters gather outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday. Morsy insisted that Egypt was on the path to "freedom and democracy," as protesters held rival rallies over sweeping powers he assumed that further polarized the country's political forces.
Protesters demonstrating against Morsy run from tear gas fired by Egyptian riot police during clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.
Egyptian protesters throw rocks toward riot police on Friday
Egyptian supporters and opponents of Morsy clash in the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.
A man throws a rock during clashes in Alexandria on Friday.
Thousands of demonstrators march through the streets of Cairo to protest against Morsy on Friday.
Clashes rocked the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.
|