Thousands of young Yemenis have shown, Saturday, February 12, Sana'a, demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdallah Saleh. The demonstration was dispersed by supporters of the ruling General People's Congress (PMC), armed with sticks and clubs but also weapons. "After Mubarak is the turn of Ali," chanted some 4,000 protesters, the majority of students, demanding the departure of the president in power for 32 years.
Chanting "Get out of Ali," "the people want the fall of the regime" or "the Yemeni revolution after that of Egypt," the demonstrators marched from the University of Sana'a to the center of the capital. They managed to Tahrir Square (Liberation Square), a fortress of popular protest, where supporters of the ruling party still managed to disperse them.
About 10,000 supporters of President Saleh, many of the tribesmen in the province of Sanaa, were mobilized to fill the Tahrir Square, where tents have been erected "to prevent the opposition from settling there." Clashes ensued when some protesters tried to march on the presidential palace in Sanaa.
According to opposition leaders, ten protesters were briefly arrested in Sanaa and 120 were detained for the night in the city of Taiz where authorities broke up the day before another event. After the events of Sunday, President Saleh has decided to postpone his visit to the United States expected this month, "because of the current situation in the region." For its part, the opposition has publicly agreed to begin talks with the Yemeni president.
"The opposition does not reject the invitation of the President and is ready to sign an agreement in less than a week", said former Foreign Minister, Mohammed Basindwa. The talks should be held under the auspices of the West or the Gulf, he added however. After the revolt of Tunisia and the burning of Egypt, the Yemeni president, facing a growing challenge, announced Feb.
2 the freezing of constitutional amendments that would have allowed him to appear again at the expiration of his current term in 2013. He also announced the postponement of legislative elections scheduled for April 27 and whose place in the absence of political reform, was disputed by the opposition.
But the opposition galvanized by the revolt in Tunisia and the protest movement in Egypt, had met the day after tens of thousands of people demand a regime change. It was the largest gathering ever known against the regime of President Saleh, whose country is one of the poorest Arab states.
For more information: 
Chanting "Get out of Ali," "the people want the fall of the regime" or "the Yemeni revolution after that of Egypt," the demonstrators marched from the University of Sana'a to the center of the capital. They managed to Tahrir Square (Liberation Square), a fortress of popular protest, where supporters of the ruling party still managed to disperse them.
About 10,000 supporters of President Saleh, many of the tribesmen in the province of Sanaa, were mobilized to fill the Tahrir Square, where tents have been erected "to prevent the opposition from settling there." Clashes ensued when some protesters tried to march on the presidential palace in Sanaa.
According to opposition leaders, ten protesters were briefly arrested in Sanaa and 120 were detained for the night in the city of Taiz where authorities broke up the day before another event. After the events of Sunday, President Saleh has decided to postpone his visit to the United States expected this month, "because of the current situation in the region." For its part, the opposition has publicly agreed to begin talks with the Yemeni president.
"The opposition does not reject the invitation of the President and is ready to sign an agreement in less than a week", said former Foreign Minister, Mohammed Basindwa. The talks should be held under the auspices of the West or the Gulf, he added however. After the revolt of Tunisia and the burning of Egypt, the Yemeni president, facing a growing challenge, announced Feb.
2 the freezing of constitutional amendments that would have allowed him to appear again at the expiration of his current term in 2013. He also announced the postponement of legislative elections scheduled for April 27 and whose place in the absence of political reform, was disputed by the opposition.
But the opposition galvanized by the revolt in Tunisia and the protest movement in Egypt, had met the day after tens of thousands of people demand a regime change. It was the largest gathering ever known against the regime of President Saleh, whose country is one of the poorest Arab states.
For more information:
- Laurie DePrete: The Ultimate Chocolate Indulgences for Valentine's Day (09/02/2011)
- "Thousands of Protesters in Yemen Head Toward Presidential Palace" and related posts (14/02/2011)
- Violent Protests in Yemen (13/02/2011)
- "Protests Continue In Yemen" and related posts (14/02/2011)
- You: Yemen opposition agrees to resume govt talks (13/02/2011)
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