Last Updated, 6:55 p.m. Street battles erupted in Cairo on Wednesday night, after Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Morsi attacked protesters camped outside the gates of the presidential palace, according to journalists and activists who witnessed the raid.

Morsi supporters reportedly attempted to stifle coverage by attacking journalists and bloggers, but activists from the Mosireen film collective managed to record video of tents being ripped down, which was quickly posted on YouTube.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters attack a number of journalists around palace, chase them down streets, destroy cameras. #Egypt — Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (@Repent11) 5 Dec 12

It seems our friend @KareemFarid has been attacked by Morsi supporters, his bag & camera have been stolen! Kareem is our BEST citizen journo — Farah Saafan (@FarahSaafan) 5 Dec 12

Egypt’s ON TV, which posted a live stream of the scene outside the palace on YouTube, also broadcast video of the president’s supporters clearing the sit-in and putting up barriers to block the return of protesters to the area.

Activists and journalists posted images on Twitter showing the president’s supporters dispersing the sit-in and taking control of the area outside the palace, with the apparent acquiescence of the police.

Police and Military police sat watching as MB beat up protesters in front of presidential palace — Lilian Wagdy ليليان (@lilianwagdy) 5 Dec 12

#mb robbing food after demolishing tents opposite etehadeya #egypt //t.co/pf1nJGUz — Karim Akram (@Karim_Akram) 5 Dec 12

Supporters are heading for the prayers after violently dispersing a sit in. — Mai Shams El-Din (@maishams) 5 Dec 12

The attack on the sit-in came one day after tens of thousands of protesters rallied outside the gates of the palace to protest the president’s decree granting himself unchecked power to help push through a new constitution written by Islamists.

This is part of yesterday’s demo.. these are who Ikhwan call ‘a few’ //t.co/LZqLWcNC — marlyn (@virtualactivism) 5 Dec 12

Before the attack, a message posted on the Muslim Brotherhood’s official @Ikhwanweb Twitter account called for a million-man counter-demonstration at the same location.

Muslim Brotherhood & Islamist parties call for Million-Man March today afternoon outside Itehadyya palace in supprt of the elected president — Ikhwanweb (@Ikhwanweb) 5 Dec 12

As several journalists noted, the Morsi supporters cleared the sit-in just as the vice president told reporters that the crisis could be resolved by allowing a referendum on the draft constitution to proceed and then passing amendments to the document after a new Parliament convenes.

VP Mekky says political groups could agree on a written charter to amend controversial articles in first parliamentary session — Sarah El Sirgany (@Ssirgany) 5 Dec 12

Deal floated by VP Mekki very strange development. Why would the oppstn trust any promise by Islamist MPs they will pass ammndmnts? #Egypt — Rawya Rageh (@RawyaRageh) 5 Dec 12

VP: dialogue shld continue around controversial const articles, amendments can be presented to new parl’t for ratification — Ikhwanweb (@Ikhwanweb) 5 Dec 12

While Muslim Brotherhood officials denied that they were responsible for the violence, claiming that “both sides” engaged in attacks, opposition activists blamed the Islamist president for the escalation and compared the use of force by civilian supporters of the Islamist movement to the tactics of the Mubarak regime and the way Iran’s government deploys members of the Basij militia to attack protesters there.

Vicious attack vs peaceful protesters in front of presidential palace w/o police protection. Regime leading Egypt into violence & bloodshed — Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) 5 Dec 12

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: Ruling party sends supporters to violently quell protests — Abdel-Rahman Hussein (@ElFoulio) 5 Dec 12

MB used their militias to attack a sit-in. It’s official. The MB are transforming their followers into Basij. — The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) 5 Dec 12

The VP saying “Crowds do not dictate the course of the country” 18 months into a revolution and amidst a MB mob attack on demonstrators… — sherief gaber (@cairocitylimits) 5 Dec 12

So much misinfrmatn from #Egypt VP Mekki, here’s a start: accuses yesterday’s huge peacfl protests of violence at the momnt #MB thugs atack — Barbara Ibrahim (@blibrahim) 5 Dec 12

All journalists had phones removed so sitting in the VP presser w no idea about the #MB attacks going on at presidency. Totalitarian theater — Barbara Ibrahim (@blibrahim) 5 Dec 12

After the Morsi supporters cleared the small number of protesters who had camped outside the palace walls following Tuesday night’s protest, they moved on to erasing graffiti left by the revolutionaries, including a portrait of Jika Gaber, a young man who was killed at the start of the protests against the president’s decree.

What was a dynamic, revolutionary Egyptian crowd last night has turned into exclusively counterrevolutionary middle-aged men today. — Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12

As opposition protesters rallied nearby in response to the attack, activists reported that the president’s supporters remained on the offensive. Video streamed live from the scene to the video-sharing site Bambuser by the activist blogger Tarek Shalaby seemed to capture the sound of shots being fired.

This is surreal. They’re NOT defending the palace. They’re chasing us all out the entire neighborhood. I’ve heard many shots, seen injuries. — Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12

I keep hearing shots. While running back earlier I felt pebbles hit my back. What’s that? Not bird shot. — Tarek Shalaby (@tarekshalaby) 5 Dec 12

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Raw footage posted online later by the activist filmmakers from Mosireen appeared to show clear images of one of the Morsi supporters firing a shotgun in the direction of the protesters.

Later, a researcher for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights reported that Morsi supporters were firing shotgun pellets at the protesters on the other side, and one blogger took cover under a car to avoid being attacked.

our researcher Karim Ennarah @kennarah now confirms pro-Morsi side are firing gunshot pellets at other side — hossam bahgat (@hossambahgat) 5 Dec 12

It is not normal what i saw! Side streets in Korba are NOT safe i didnt even have time to go anywhere! I hid under @KhaledSherbiny car :( — Sarah Ebeid (@SarahEbeid) 5 Dec 12

After reports of serious casualties accompanied by graphic images began to circulate online, the journalists Sharif Kouddous and Sarah Carr reported on clashes between supporters and opponents of the president from the front line between the two groups.

Outside the presidential palace, Egypt is witnessing the worst clashes between citizens since the revolution began //t.co/kzi9DNUS — Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12

Brotherhood crowd chanting “With our souls, with our blood well sacrifice for you, Islam” #Egypt — Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12

Police are nowhere to be seen. With far bigger numbers, Brotherhood crowd has pushed revolutionary crowd back down the street — Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) 5 Dec 12

The frontline now near roxy square //t.co/K94fZNnm — أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12

The crowd behind chanting Morsi Morsi allaho akbar //t.co/Kpl6eubU — أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12

Morsi pic hung on the palace door. //t.co/Mx5sXzfG — أبو كار (@Sarahcarr) 5 Dec 12

More footage of the street battle posted online late in the evening by Mosireen appeared to show a police officer firing at protesters from the Morsi supporters’ side of the barricades.

Late in the evening, the blogger who writes as @Egyptocracy on Twitter drew attention to video that appeared to show a protester who had been captured by the president’s supporters. Refusing to give into the demands of his captors to confess to having been paid to take part in the demonstration, the man shouted instead, “I will voice my opinion.”

#MB crowds beating a captured protester for a confession on who paid him. He shouts: I will voice my opinion.

//t.co/aao6hTXS #Egypt — Egyptocracy (@Egyptocracy) 5 Dec 12

After the violence escalated, Brotherhood officials, including Essam el-Erian, a senior leader of the group’s political party, and the young, Islamist bloggers running the official Twitter account tried to blame opposition politicians, and were met with jeers from activists.