Ismailia — Anti-government protesters defied Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's curfew order in cities along the Suez Canal and clashed with police and troops in restive Port Said.

Twenty minutes after the 9 p.m. curfew began, demonstrators chanted, "With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice for you, Port Said," state-run television reported.

Marches took place in the cities of Port Said, Ismailia and Suez after dark, despite the curfews and a temporary state of emergency.

Meanwhile Morsi's call for national dialogue has been rejected by his political opponents.

He had urged opposition leaders to attend a meeting on Sunday evening in an effort to calm the situation, but only Islamists already aligned with the president turned up.