Now, people's power sets off tremors in Yemen
BEIRUT: Yemen became the latest Arab state to plunge into political turmoil on Thursday, joining Egypt and Tunisia, as thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the capital and other regions to demand a change in government.
Organizers of the protests in Yemen, one of the Middle East's most impoverished countries and a haven for al-Qaida militants, said they were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there earlier this month. At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and 6,000 more elsewhere in Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local media reports. Some carried banners and marched in color-coordinated groups. The government responded by sending a large number of security forces into the streets, said Nasser Arabyee , a Yemeni journalist in Sana reached by phone.
The demonstrations on Thursday followed several days of smaller protests by students and opposition groups saying they wanted President Ali Abdallah Saleh removed from power. Through the morning, the protesters chanted slogans against Saleh, a strongman who for more than 30 years has ruled a fractured country beset by a rebellion in the north and secessionists in the south. Saleh is a key ally of the United States in the fight against a Yemeni branch of al-Qaida .
To ease tensions, Saleh has promised to raise salaries for the army, by approximately $47 a month, and denied reports that he is preparing his son as his successor. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, Yemen is among the poorest countries in the Middle East.
Organizers of the protests in Yemen, one of the Middle East's most impoverished countries and a haven for al-Qaida militants, said they were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there earlier this month. At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and 6,000 more elsewhere in Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local media reports. Some carried banners and marched in color-coordinated groups. The government responded by sending a large number of security forces into the streets, said Nasser Arabyee , a Yemeni journalist in Sana reached by phone.
The demonstrations on Thursday followed several days of smaller protests by students and opposition groups saying they wanted President Ali Abdallah Saleh removed from power. Through the morning, the protesters chanted slogans against Saleh, a strongman who for more than 30 years has ruled a fractured country beset by a rebellion in the north and secessionists in the south. Saleh is a key ally of the United States in the fight against a Yemeni branch of al-Qaida .
To ease tensions, Saleh has promised to raise salaries for the army, by approximately $47 a month, and denied reports that he is preparing his son as his successor. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, Yemen is among the poorest countries in the Middle East.
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