CAIRO, July 15 (Reuters) - Egyptian police fired tear gas in central Cairo on Monday after scuffles broke out between supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi and locals in and around Ramses Street, eyewitnesses said.

It was the first violent confrontation involving pro-Mursi protesters for a week.

One witness said the police fired tear gas at the Mursi supporters after they cut off access to Ramses Street, one of Cairo's main thoroughfares, and the October 6th Bridge across the Nile, angering drivers and passers-by and leading to scuffles.

Small-scale fights were continuing at around 9:35 p.m. (1925 GMT), although policemen were looking on without taking further action.

Last Monday, 53 Mursi supporters were killed when soldiers opened fire outside the Republican Guard compound in Cairo. Four soldiers also died. The army blamed the clash on the demonstrators, but Mursi's followers called it a "massacre". (Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Kevin Liffey)