Thousands marching for the overthrow of Yemen’s US-supported president clashed with police and government supporters today in a fifth straight day of Egypt-inspired protests.
Police tried to disperse the demonstrators using tear gas, batons and stun guns, but about 3,000 defiantly continued their march from the capital Sanaa’s university toward the city centre, chanting slogans against resident Ali Abdullah Saleh, including “Down with the president’s thugs!” The procession gained momentum with hundreds of students and rights activists joining along the way.
The unrest came as ties between the US and Mr Saleh have been growing recently over rising alarm in Washington about the activities of al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The US military has embarked on a plan to deepen its involvement in training Yemen’s counter-terrorism force to counteract a local affiliate of al Qaida that has mounted several attacks against the US Mr Saleh, who has been in office for more than 30 years, has tried to blunt recent unrest by promising not to seek re-election when his term ends in 2013.
He has been contacting powerful tribal leaders in a bid to enlist their support as he attempts to defuse the protests.
Since Saturday, he has personally visited leaders of the powerful Hashed tribe in a number of regions around the capital to solicit their support.
Officials said he feared that his rule would not withstand the pressure of a tribal decision to join the protesters, especially since many of them are heavily armed.
For now he is counting on the security forces and armed backers who support his rule in dealing with the protesters.
Today riot police blocked the main road leading to the city centre and clashed with protesters throwing stones. Three protesters were injured.
About 2,000 government supporters staging a counter-demonstration joined the police in battling the protesters. By mid-afternoon, the protesters had dispersed.
In Yemen’s southern province of Taiz, more than 5,000 people demonstrated for a second day in a main street, and they engaged in an exchange of stone-throwing with police and government supporters.
Impoverished Yemen is one of several countries in the Middle East feeling the aftershocks of pro-reform uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
PA