Nothing Human Is Alien
27th January 2011, 14:11
From the New York Times:
BEIRUT Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the countrys capital and other regions on Thursday to demand a change of government, in demonstrations that organizers said were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there.
At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere in the Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local news media reports.
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 and that no clashes had been reported.
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 Mr. 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.
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 follow 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.
In an echo of demonstrations around the region, news reports quoted the protesters in Yemen as also calling for an end to corruption and abuse of power and demanding improvements in living conditions. 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.
A pro-government rally, in another district of Sana, organized by Mr. Salehs party, attracted far fewer demonstrators, Mr. Arabyee said.
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.
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.
Yemens 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. Salehs 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.
Nada Bakri reported from Beirut, and J. David Goodman from New York.
BEIRUT Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the countrys capital and other regions on Thursday to demand a change of government, in demonstrations that organizers said were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there.
At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere in the Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local news media reports.
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 and that no clashes had been reported.
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 Mr. 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.
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 follow 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.
In an echo of demonstrations around the region, news reports quoted the protesters in Yemen as also calling for an end to corruption and abuse of power and demanding improvements in living conditions. 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.
A pro-government rally, in another district of Sana, organized by Mr. Salehs party, attracted far fewer demonstrators, Mr. Arabyee said.
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.
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.
Yemens 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. Salehs 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.
Nada Bakri reported from Beirut, and J. David Goodman from New York.