Hundreds of Egyptians have held a demonstration in Cairo to protest against the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Egyptian capital

Hundreds of Egyptians have held a demonstration in Cairo to protest against the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Egyptian capital.

The protesters gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday as Clinton met with Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi to discuss Egypt's transition to democracy and plans to provide economic assistance to the country.

The demonstrators said they were opposed to the US efforts to control and potentially divide Egypt, voicing their opposition to a US attempt to force Egypt to appease the Zionist entity.

Saturday’s talks were part of a two-day visit. America’s top diplomat says she is there to push for completion of post-revolutionary change in the country and for economic restoration.

"I have come to Cairo to re-affirm the strong support of the United States for the Egyptian people and their democratic transition," Clinton said at a joint news conference with the foreign minister, Mohammed Amr. "We want to be a good partner and we want to support the democracy that has been achieved by the courage and sacrifice of the Egyptian people," she said, adding that "democracy is hard."

On Sunday morning, the US Secretary of State is meeting with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), who was commended by Clinton this afternoon for having protected the Egyptian revolution, "unlike the Syrian army." Ahead of the meeting, she called on the Egyptian military to give President Mursi full powers and to return to its essential national security function.