Egypt's president has told his country's Muslims it is part of their Islamic duty to protect embassies and foreign diplomats who are guests in the country.

Mohammad Morsi made the appeal on state TV today, ahead of expected protests across the Muslim world over an anti-Islam film ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed.

As he spoke, riot police fired tear gas and clashed with about 100 protesters a few blocks from the US Embassy in Cairo.

Protests in the Egyptian capital have been ongoing since Tuesday, when an angry crowd scaled the embassy's walls and took down and tore the American flag.

The film, Innocence Of Muslims, has prompted violent protests at US embassies in the Middle East, resulting in the death of the American ambassador and three staff in Libya.

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