Millions Pray in Yemen Streets, Want Ouster of Saleh

Sana'a- Mar 4, 2011- Millions of people took to the streets in Yemeni cities on Friday to pray and demonstrate full support to the hundreds of thousands who have been conducting sit-ins for weeks, mainly in the capital Sana'a, the business capital Aden and Taiz, demanding the ouster of the regime.

In Sana'a and Taiz, more than 2.5 million people prayed in the square of change at Sana'a University and the square of freedom in Oseifra district, Taiz.

The preachers who delivered Friday's sermons saluted the youths and people demanding the departure of President Saleh, saying the time has come for change in Yemen.

"Seeking change has united the Yemeni people across their country in Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, Baidha'a, Saada, Ibb, Hodeida, Hadramout and others, and their determination will inevitably succeed ousting the corrupt and oppressive regime," the preacher at Sana'a University said.

Before the sermons, the people were chanting: 'the people want to oust the regime', and ' out out Ali', the slogans chanted during the protests and sit-ins inspired by the revolts that removed the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes in January and February this year.

Hundreds of thousands also gathered in other cities, praying in the streets and chanting: the people want to oust the regime.

In the meantime, the movements responsible for organizing and supervising the protests and later the sit-ins confusing President Saleh, who has been making concessions, are now seeking a united leadership and rearranging to make their effort a success.

Ahmed Saif Hashid, a former MP and an activist, said today during a meeting with some youths participating in the Sana'a sit-in that spontaneous revolutions can be thwarted and their organizers harassed. "We should rearrange our effort and seek a good management for the revolution to harvest freedom and other political, economic and social rights," he addressed the attendants.

Yesterday representatives from the several movements organizing met and decided to pick one of every movement to be within the leadership as the situation here indicates President Saleh is to stand down, added Hashid, a reference for the protesters.

"We are now contacting the organizers of the protests in other cities to rearrange our effort to make it a success," he said, as he added that they have identified two goals for the Yemenis' revolution: to oust the regime and to create a civil state.

Saleh has recently made concessions, which he said were only for the sake of the country, including he will not run again for president and will not bring his son, Ahmed, to power when his term expires in 2013. He also called for resuming dialogue with the opposition that initially accepted the call, but later rejected all efforts by Saleh, saying the president is just wasting time for his ambitions.

More recently, Saleh met with Yemeni clerics and told them to convey a new initiative for the Joint Meeting Parties, the opposition coalition, whose terms included a call for resuming dialogue and proposed reforms.

But the initiative was rejected by the opposition, which said what Saleh has been doing is not going to work because the people are now seeking his departure whatever he offers.

As the protests started to escalate, external pressure has started to mount on the regime, with countries such as the U.S. urging Saleh to step down and seek a quick orderly transition of power.

On the other hand, the General People's Congress, the ruling party, is competing with the anti-government demos and sit-ins in the Yemeni cities, mobilizing its fans to chant for Saleh.

In Sana'a and Taiz, the people can't reach Tahrir Squares because the pro-government sit-inners have been occupying them since the downfall of the Egyptian regime.

Source: Yemen Post