Cairo , Egypt ( CNN ) -- The running battle between Egyptian police and protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo continued for a fourth straight day Friday , leading to scores more arrests and at least one death , according to state authorities . A demonstration in Tahrir Square -- which in early 2011 was the hub of activity in the revolution that led to the ouster of longtime President Hosni Muhbarak -- was peaceful . But as it has since Tuesday , unrest continued outside the American embassy as riot police clashed sporadically with protesters . One hundred forty-five protesters were arrested Friday and 53 policemen were injured , seven by bird shot , said Interior Ministry spokesman Alaa Mahmoud . The Interior Ministry later issued a statement stating that one protester -- who was described as an ex-convict with an extensive criminal record -- was killed by birdshot . At least 15 protesters were injured Friday from tear gas inhalation and eye irritation , said Health Ministry spokesman Mohamed Sultan . Eleven protesters have been hospitalized in the past couple of days , he said . The tensions in Cairo flared amid widespread rage over an anti-Islam film made in the United States and posted online . Shortly after dawn on Friday , officers carrying shields and batons and backed by an armored personnel carrier rushed a group of several hundred protesters to quell a violent demonstration that had raged through the night . After the rush , a smaller number of demonstrators regrouped near the U.S. Embassy across from police lines , and stones and tear-gas canisters once again crossed in the air . Police fired rubber bullets at protesters . The army began constructing a wall of concrete blocks about 10 feet ( 3 meters ) high across the road leading to the embassy , located about 25 meters ( roughly 25 yards ) away . By Friday afternoon , youths climbed the newly built wall and threw rocks at police , witnesses said . Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannons to hold off the rioters . But 100 to 200 meters away , in Tahrir Square , a few thousand protesters congregated peacefully . More than 250 people have been injured and 40 arrested this week as riot police faced off against protesters , state media said . Nearly three dozen of those hurt were members of the nation 's security forces , state media said . Those arrested faced charges that included thuggery , assaulting police officers and vandalism near the embassy . Both the police clampdown and the cancellation of nationwide protests come during a delicate period across the restive Middle East . In recent days , residents across the region and North Africa have taken to the streets to protest the film . The region is on edge after the killings of U.S . Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other American officials at the U.S. Consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi . Ties between the United States and Egypt have cooled since the overthrow last year of Mubarak and the election of President Mohamed Morsy , the country 's first democratically elected leader . Before he became president , he was a leader in the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood , the popular Islamist movement . U.S. President Barack Obama said that relations with Egypt will be shaped by how the country responds to the violence . `` I do n't think that we would consider them an ally , but we do n't consider them an enemy , '' Obama told Telemundo in an interview that aired Thursday . If Egypt takes actions that `` indicate they 're not taking responsibilities , as all other countries do where we have embassies , I think that 's going to be a real big problem , '' Obama said . Obama 's comments were widely seen as a warning to Egypt , which was considered a staunch U.S. ally under Mubarak and remains a major recipient of American foreign aid . It is the most populous and one of the most influential nations in the Arab world . When the protests began Tuesday , police and Egyptian troops formed defensive lines around the embassy to prevent demonstrators who had also gathered there from advancing , but not before the protesters had scaled the embassy fence and placed a black flag atop a ladder in the American compound . Police arrested a handful of protesters at the time , but the failure of Egyptian authorities to take action sooner has been widely questioned , as has Morsy 's delayed condemnation of the attacks on American diplomatic missions . Morsy initially focused his criticism on the anti-Muslim film as an unacceptable slap at Islam . But after speaking with Obama , Morsy on Thursday directly criticized the violence . `` Those who are attacking the embassies do not represent any of us , '' he said from Brussels , Belgium , where he was visiting the headquarters of the European Union . CNN 's Ben Wedeman , Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Ian Lee in Cairo , and Caroline Faraj , Brian Walker , Elise Labott , Paul Cruickshank and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report .
NEW : An Interior Ministry spokesman reports 145 arrests and 53 policemen injured . NEW : 1 protester , an ex-convict , is killed by birdshot , the Interior Ministry adds . There have been scores of injuries over the last four days near the U.S. embassy . One analyst said Obama put Morsy `` on notice '' to tamp down violence .