Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Stinging tear gas was fired in the epicenter of Cairo's demonstrations where pandemonium sparked by violent clashes between pro- and anti-government forces reigned Wednesday. In a surreal scene resembling the movie "Ben Hur," supporters of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak thundered through the crowds on horses and camels in central Tahrir Square. At least one man was pulled off his horse and beaten.
Mubarak's announcement that he will not seek re-election had been expected to vacuum the passion out of Egypt's nine-day uprising. But the opposite rang true, at least in central Cairo. It remained unclear whether such confrontations were being repeated elsewhere.
The sound of gunfire reverberated in Tahrir Square and people hurled verbal insults, Molotov cocktails, rocks and anything else they could find -- shards of metal, sticks, shoes -- at one another. Desperate for more ammunition, they dismantled sidewalks and picked up chunks of curb stones to throw. They beat each other in what rapidly spiraled into utter mayhem.
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