Anti-govt. protests continue in Yemen

Yemeni anti-government protesters shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sana'a on April 2, 2011.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172753.html

Yemeni anti-government protesters continue to rally against the long drawn-out rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has made clear he has no immediate plans to step down.

On Saturday, protests continued at Change Square in the capital, Sana'a, and the southern cities of Aden and Taiz, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Many workers joined the demonstrations as a general strike was called on Saturday.

Barricades were reportedly built and tires set on fire to prevent government tanks from entering the main road.

Meanwhile, Saleh, who has been in power for over three decades, thanked thousands of his supporters for backing constitutional legitimacy as they gathered near the presidential palace on Saturday.

Officials say Saleh has met with representatives of several tribes. He has already lost the support of many tribesmen as well as top military and political figures.

On Friday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across the country, demanding the ouster of the president. Demonstrators marched in several towns and cities across Yemen following the Friday Prayers.

Protesters also demanded that Saleh be put on trial and held accountable for the murder of protesters during opposition rallies.

More than 82 people have been killed and hundreds of others have been injured in the brutal crackdown by state security forces on protests that began in the country in January.