Protesters Live Blog

Tens of thousands of protesters packed Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, in the biggest demonstration in months against the ruling military, aimed at stepping up pressure on the generals to hand over power to civilians and bar ex-regime members from running in the forthcoming presidential elections.

Both Islamists and liberals turned out in force for the protest, to show their widespread anger at the military over the country's political chaos ahead of the first presidential elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago.

The confusion has raised suspicions that the generals ruling since Mubarak's removal are manipulating the process to preserve their power, ensure the victory of a pro-military candidate and prevent reform.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-led parliament has begun drawing up a no-confidence motion against the military-appointed government, further escalating the Islamists' increasingly public power struggle with the country's ruling generals.

The Islamists were also squabbling with liberal and secular groups over the commission that is to draw up the nation's new constitution. After the Brotherhood took a clear majority on the 100-member body for itself, 25 other members resigned. The latest was the representative of Al-Azhar, the pre-eminent institute of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world.

On Thursday, a meeting between the Islamists and liberals chaired by military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi produced no compromises [Associated Press].

Prosecutors have ordered 25 protesters detained for 15 days pending investigation into their role in violent protests near the Interior Ministry in Cairo, Daily News Egypt has reported.

Since fighting between riot police and civilians began on Thursday, 81 people have been arrested, the newspaper reported. Eight people have died in Cairo and five in Suez; police have used tear gas and shotgun pellets on the protesters.

Protesters faced off with police in Cairo for a third day in deadly clashes sparked by anger at the failure of Egypt's military rulers to prevent football-related violence that left scores dead.

Thick clouds of smoke hung over the roads leading up to the interior ministry, where protesters hurled stones at officers and ambulances shuttled the wounded out of the area.

"Police have been firing tear gas at the protesters," Al Jazeera's correspondent, Sherine Tadros, reported from the scene.

Read our news story for more detail and context: Cairo street battles rage for third day