Egypt’s president says it’s up to Muslims as part of their Islamic duty to protect embassies and foreign diplomats who are guests in the country.

According to AP, Mohamed Mursi made the appeal on state TV on Friday, Sept 14, ahead of expected protests across the Muslim world over an anti-Islam film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad.

As he spoke, riot police fired tear gas and clashed with about 100 protesters a few blocks from the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Protests in the Egyptian capital have been ongoing since Tuesday, when an angry crowd scaled the embassy’s walls and took down and tore the American flag.

The film “Innocence of Muslims” has prompted violent protests at U.S. embassies in the Middle East, resulting in the death of the American ambassador and three staff in Libya.