Clashes broke out between hundreds of protesters and police in the early hours of Friday in front of the residence of Egypt’s interior minister in Cairo’s Nasr City district, Ahram’s Arabic-language news website reported.

Around 400 members of the April 6 Youth Movement staged a protest at dawn on Friday against what they describe as heavy-handed tactics employed by Egypt's interior ministry. They also demanded the release of fellow activists who were arrested during a recent attack by security forces on Tahrir Square.

Police forces fired teargas to disperse the crowd who were chanting against Egypt's interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, and his crackdown on protesters and political activists.

Dozens suffered from smoke inhalation due to the dense volleys of teargas fired. The group claimed at least two of its members were injured by birdshot pellets.

Four were arrested after some protesters deployed derogatory chants against the ministry, describing it as a “prostitute” while holding aloft women's underwear.

In a statement issued early on Friday, the April 6 Youth Movement’s Democratic Front condemned the brutality and repressive measures used by the interior ministry.

"Such violence and abuse from police will never pass unnoticed," read the statement. "Any bloodshed [of our members] will lead to an outrage that neither the interior ministry nor the regime has seen before."

On Wednesday, 53 activists were arrested when security forces raided Tahrir Square and removed barriers erected by protesters which were obstructing traffic. Activists returned shortly afterwards and again closed the square off to traffic.

Anti-government activists have held an intermittent sit-in in Tahrir Square since 22 November, when President Mohamed Morsi issued a highly controversial presidential decree that temporarily shielded his decisions from judicial oversight.

This article was modified on Friday afternoon to clarify the translation of the word 'prostitute'. It was previously mistranslated as 'bitch.'