Egypt crisis: Anti-government protesters out in force despite curfew

• Police gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square as a car burns. Picture: Getty Images

Parts of the ruling party headquarters in Cairo were going up in flames apparently set by enraged protesters demanding the removal from power of 82-year-old President Hosni Mubarak.

The 6pm to 7am curfew, also in force in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and Suez east of the capital, was imposed after thousands of protesters clashed with police across the country.

One protester was killed and pro-reform leader and Nobel Peace prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei was placed under house arrest after joining demonstrations.

Flames rose up across a number of cities from burning tyres and police cars.

"I can't believe our own police, our own government would keep beating up on us like this," said Cairo protester Ahmad Salah, 26.

"I've been here for hours and gassed and keep going forward, and they keep gassing us, and I will keep going forward. This is a cowardly government and it has to fall. We're going to make sure of it."

In one of many astonishing scenes earlier, thousands of anti-government protesters wielding rocks, glass and sticks chased hundreds of riot police away from the main square in central Cairo and several of the policemen stripped off their uniforms and badges and joined the demonstrators.

An Associated Press reporter saw the protesters cheering the police who joined them and hoisting them on their shoulders in one of the many dramatic and chaotic scenes across Egypt.

After chasing the police, thousands of protesters were able to flood into the huge Tahrir Square after being kept out most of the day by a very heavy police presence. Few police could be seen around the square after the confrontation.