Cairo - At least 100 people were injured and 200 arrested in clashes between textile workers and anti-riot police Sunday in the northern Egyptian town of Mahalla, while 200 opposition activists were held in other cities as they took part in a general strike.

Security forces stationed around the textile factory in Mahalla since the early hours on Sunday clashed with workers staging a protest outside the factory, a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Police used teargas to break up the protestors who threw stones at them. At least 200 people were arrested and 100 injured in the clashes, the official said.

The demonstration at Egypt's main textile factory was part of a nationwide opposition campaign in protest at rising food prices and to demand wage increases.

A strike at the factory in December 2006 sparked labour strikes and protests across the country.

Egyptian opposition activists have launched a civil disobedience campaign they termed "Stay Home" using information technologies, such as the internet networking site FaceBook, blogs, mobile phones and emails.

Egyptians have been urged to take part in a general strike and protests on Sunday to demand wage increases and a curb to food price rises.

Over 200 activists from the Kifaya opposition movement and other groups, including the leader of the opposition Labour party, Madgi Hussein, have been arrested on their way to stage demonstrations in Cairo and other cities, security and opposition sources said.

Seven activists who launched the campaign on FaceBook were also arrested.

The government reacted nervously by issuing a warning that it would take firm action against anyone who would respond to the call to strike.

"Any attempt to incite unrest or disturb public order will be firmly met with legal action," warned a statement by the Ministry of Interior.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have received a call to the Sunday strike by email, SMS, or word of mouth. The call has sparked fears among ordinary Egyptians, who remembered the bread riots of 1977. (dpa)