Scores of protestors were killed in Cairo as the Egyptian army cleared protest camps in the capital.
The protestors, there in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, have been in the camps since July.
The Egyptian security forces have now declared a month-long state of emergency in an attempt to quell the demonstrations.
The presidency said in a statement that the "security and order of the nation face danger due to deliberate sabotage, and attacks on public and private buildings and the loss of life by extremist groups."
Vice-President Mohammed El Baradei has handed in his resignation after the violence.
The government denied that the deaths were caused by live ammunition by the army.
"Security forces used only tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters though it was heavily fired at by armed elements from inside the two protest camps, causing the death of an officer and a conscript and the injury of four policemen and two conscripts," the interior ministry said in a statement.
A Sky News cameraman has also been reported killed in the violence.
Mick Deane was shot while he was covering the violence according to the head of Sky News John Ryley.