Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri on Saturday accused “foreign elements” of stirring up riots outside Egypt's cabinet building.
In a press conference, he also said military police have exercised self-control in dealing with protesters.
Eight people have died and at least 299 injured in the clashes, the Health Ministry reported earlier on Saturday.
“Elements that infiltrated the protest shot fire. Everything that is happening now has nothing to do with the revolution. This is intended to ruin the revolution,” Ganzouri said.
He went on to say that revolutionary youth are those who fight unemployment or seek to solve society's problems, adding, "Those who carry out these acts are not revolutionaries and do not want the best for Egypt.”
“Once again I emphasize that military forces did not clash with them, and only guarded the parliament and cabinet building,” he said.
Ganzouri said he is deeply sad about the violence and called on all political players to take care of the country. He said, “These events show that some parties do not want the security situation to improve further, after its improvement over the past few days," but added that he is not accusing specific parties.
Eyewitnesses at the cabinet building, meanwhile, told AP that soldiers on rooftops continued to pelt the crowds below with stones, prompting protesters to pick up helmets, satellite dishes or sheets of metal to try to protect themselves.
Protesters told Egypt Independent that the clashes started after a fellow protester, Aboudi Ibrahim, was kidnapped during the early hours of Friday. Ibrahim was reportedly arrested by police, and then beaten and electrocuted before returning to the sit-in, which was initiated on 24 November to protest Ganzouri's appointment as prime minister.
