The army surrounded the TV station and clashed with supporters of Alassane Ouattara
Soldiers loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, one of Ivory Coast's would-be presidents, have fired on protesters trying to take control of state TV and killed at least three people, reports say.
Amid widening unrest in Abidjan, witnesses also reported gunfire near the hotel of Alassane Ouattara, who also claims to be president.
Both men say they won a presidential election last month.
The UN, which backs Mr Ouattara's claim, has urged calm.
"The secretary general is reminding those who incite or perpetrate violence, and those who use the media for that purpose, that they'll be held accountable for their actions," said Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky.
He also reiterated that the UN wanted Mr Gbagbo to stand down.
Heavy arms
The BBC's John James in Abidjan says shots have been fired in the air by the security forces and tear gas used to disperse demonstrators in outlying districts of the city.
He says there is a high security around the television station, with army tanks blocking the main boulevards.
The AFP news agency reported that four protesters had been killed in the clashes, other reports put the figure lower.
Mr Ouattara and his Prime Minister Guillaume Soro have been confined to the waterfront Hotel Golf since the impasse over the election results began two weeks ago.
The hotel is guarded by the UN, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers in the country that was divided by civil war in 2002.
Fighters from the New Forces (FN), Mr Soro's former rebel group that still controls the north of the country, are also guarding the hotel.
The electoral commission declared that Mr Ouattara won the run-off by 54.1% to 45.9%, but Mr Gbagbo immediately refused to admit defeat.
The Constitutional Council then annulled some results from the north and declared Mr Gbagbo the winner.
Our reporter says Mr Ouattara's supporters are keen to gain control of the state television, which has been broadcasting reports praising of Mr Gbagbo.
An official march led by Mr Soro and his ministers is expected to head towards the television station.
Most shops and businesses were shut and the city streets around the centre are deserted, our correspondent says.
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