Yemen: Demonstrations Throughout Country

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Thousands of people are headed toward the Saleh mosque (same name of President Ali Abdullah Saleh) on Tahrir Square, in central Sana’a, to demonstrate in favour of the government. Anti-government protesters are instead concentrated in the area around the University in the capital.

MISNA sources report that also yesterday the Yemini capital and other cities were theatre to demonstrations of both fronts.

“Anti-government demonstrators are well organised, they are searching anyone entering the area, have a good amplification system and are setting up tents. There are numerous women and not only youths among them,” said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Yemen
Yemen

The pro-Saleh supporters have also set up tents on Tahrir Square for the distribution of food and water and various people are walking around with posters urging dialogue, though some are also armed with sticks.

Security forces are also deployed with water cannons and vehicles mounted with machine guns.

Anti-government demonstrations are also being staged in the Aden area (in al-Malla and Khormakser) and in the northern city of Sa’adah, where the Shiite al-Houthi sect has been engaged for the past two days in clashes with police, though few details are available in regard.

Protests have been escalating over the past week in Yemen and based on verified reports, clashes have left 12 dead and around a hundred injured mainly in Aden and the capital.

Reliable sources indicate that revolts in other Arab nations are having an effect on Yemen and, like in Egypt and Tunisia, youths are the ones animating the demonstrations against the government. Contrarily to Egypt and Tunisia, internet and social networks are being used less as a means of organisation in Yemen, due to minor access to new technology.

MISNA

MISNA, or the Missionary International Service News Agency, provides daily news ‘from, about and for’ the 'world’s Souths', not just in the geographical sense, since December 1997.

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