Thousands in Yemen Protest Against the Government
Reuters
Protests in the restive south of the country, above, were more aggressive than in the capital.
By NADA BAKRI and J. DAVID GOODMAN
Published: January 27, 2011
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Yemen, one of the Middle East’s most impoverished countries and a haven for Al Qaeda militants, became the latest Arab state to see mass protests, as thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the capital and other regions demand a change in government.
But in contrast to demonstrations in Egypt this week and the month of protests that brought down the government in Tunisia, the Yemen marches appeared to be carefully organized and mostly peaceful, and there were no immediate reports of clashes. Predictably, the protests were most aggressive in the restive south.
In Sana, at least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere, according to local news 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.
“There are very strict security measures, antiriot forces,” he said, adding that security forces for the moment were closely monitoring the gatherings in the capital.
However, the government suggested it had not deployed large numbers of security forces.
“The Government of the Republic of Yemen strongly respects the democratic right for a peaceful assembly,” said Mohammed al-Basha, a spokesman for the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, in a statement. “We are pleased to announce that no major clashes or arrests occurred, and police presence was minimal.”
A pro-government rally, in another district of Sana, organized by Mr. Saleh’s party, attracted far fewer demonstrators, Mr. Arabyee said.
The demonstrations on Thursday followed several days of smaller protests by students and opposition groups calling for the removal of President Ali Abdallah 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. Mr. Saleh is a key ally of the United States in the fight against a Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda.
To ease tensions, Mr. 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.
The protests were the latest in a wave of unrest touched off by monthlong demonstrations in Tunisia that led to the ouster of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the authoritarian leader who ruled for 23 years and fled two weeks ago. The new Tunisian government issued an international warrant for his arrest on corruption charges Wednesday.
The antigovernment gatherings in Yemen also followed two days of violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Egypt, with the country bracing for another round of demonstrations on Thursday in defiance of a government ban. Egyptian protesters have called for an end to the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak, who, like Mr. Saleh, has been an ally of the United States.
Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, relatively stable countries with substantial middle classes and broad access to the Internet, Yemen is among the poorest countries in the Middle East.
“People do have fair grievances everywhere in Yemen, but unfortunately they are being used by politicians from both sides,” the deputy finance minister, Jalal Yaqoub, told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the government “should listen to the people and enact substantial reforms.”
In a televised speech on Sunday night, Mr. Saleh tried to defuse calls for his ouster, denying opposition claims about his son and saying he would raise army salaries, a move that appeared designed to ensure soldiers’ loyalty. Mr. Saleh has also cut income taxes in half and ordered price controls.
Yemen’s fragile stability has been of increasing concern to the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a visit to Sana earlier this month, urged Mr. Saleh to open a dialogue with the opposition, saying it would help to stabilize the country. His current term expires in two years, but proposed constitutional changes could allow him to hold onto power for longer.
During her visit, Ms. Clinton was asked by a Yemeni lawmaker how the United States could lend support to Mr. Saleh’s authoritarian rule even as his country increasingly becomes a haven for militants.
“We support an inclusive government,” Mrs. Clinton said in response. “We see that Yemen is going through a transition.”
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