Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will authorize the deployment of the country's armed forces to quash protests in Cairo, al-Ahram reported. The military said a prolongation of the crisis would be "disastrous” and they will not tolerate violence.

At least seven people have died over the last few days in the unrest gripping the city and over 200 have been reported injured.

Al-Ahram writes that the new legal measures approved by the cabinet are geared towards helping security forces"maintain security and protect vital state institutions." The publication added the armed forces would also be given powers of arrest. 

A spokesperson from the Egyptian military has stated that the army will not allow violence to continue and that a prolongation of the crisis would bring about "disastrous consequences."

The palace is now surrounded by barbed wire fences and concrete barricades, with police and soldiers guarding the perimeter. Tanks and armored vehicles were deployed in the Egyptian capital on Thursday to quell the rising unrest and a curfew has been introduced.

Egyptian army soldiers stand on top of an army tank as thousands of protesters walk in the streets in front of the presidential palace on December 7, 2012 in Cairo (AFP Photo / Gianluigi Guercia)

Thousands of Egyptians have flocked to Cairo's presidential palace over the last few days to protest Morsi’s recent decree granting his office vastly expanded powers. The country's opposition fears that the decree may usher in totalitarian rule. Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters also marched the streets to show solidarity for Morsi a couple of kilometers from the palace.

“We want to see the fall of the regime,” chanted the crowd surrounding the palace, enraged at the authoritarian measures taken by President Morsi.

In addition to Morsi’s new powers, demonstrators also railed against a draft constitution pushed through last week by the Islamist majority Constituent Assembly. Critics have voiced concerns that the Sharia-based legislation will have a detrimental effect on freedom of speech and women’s rights in Egypt. In an effort to calm the protests Morsi has offered to delay the referendum vote.

Political stalemate

Morsi has faced stiff opposition to his new measures, with Egypt’s opposition coalition flatly refusing to open negotiations with the President until he rescinds the constitutional declaration. However, head of the liberal Ghad Al-Thawra Party, Ayman Nour told al-Arabiya on Saturday that his party was prepared to hold talks with the President.

For his part, President Morsi addressed the nation on Friday evening, decrying the foreign funded opposition for encouraging violence against his legitimate rule.

Instead of calming the masses the speech had the opposite effect, spurring protesters to storm the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egyptian soldiers take position on a road leading to the presidential palace in Cairo on December 8, 2012 (AFP Photo / Gianluigi Guercia)

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