Yemenis hold demos, demand Saleh trial

Anti-government protesters perform Friday prayers during a rally in Sana'a on December 30, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218585.html

Anti-regime protesters have taken to the streets of Yemen for “Friday of together to achieve our goals” demonstrations and demanded that outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh be put on trial.

Demonstrations were held in the capital Sana'a and the flashpoint city of Taizz on Friday.

The protesters carried placards criticizing the US ambassador to Yemen, Gerald Feierstein, who sparked controversy by describing last week's anti-regime march from Taizz to Sana'a as a provocative act.

The protesters say the US is trying to save Saleh's regime.

The demonstrators also denounced a recent deal, brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which granted Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for stepping down from power after 33 years of iron-fist rule in the impoverished state.

According to the (P)GCC agreement, newly appointed Prime Minister Mohamed Basindwa has been tasked with forming a unity government.

Under the new unity government, the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and oil will be controlled by Saleh loyalists, while the ministries of information, the interior, and finance will be in the hands of the opposition.

Opponents of the deal have now formed a new organization called the Revolutionary Front of Salvation, uniting members of various political parties and groups.

The founders of the group say they want to recover the real goal of the revolution to achieve what they call real democracy.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more have been injured in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising against the Saleh regime in January 2011.