Protesters want Yemeni President to quit

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Thousands of protesters have gathered in Yemen calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

The demonstrators blame Saleh for mismanagement and the fatal shootings of protesters. The demonstration comes a day after Yemen's chaos deepened, when looters at a munitions factory set off an accidental explosion that killed scores of people.

The militant seizure of the factory and nearby towns amplified the fears that the situation in the country could deteriorate quickly because of the standoff between the president and an opposition coalition of youth groups, military defectors and tribal leaders.

State control diminished sharply this month as massive demonstrations spiraled in major cities and the government pulled police from many towns. Anti-government protesters in other areas pushed out police and soldiers and set up militias for self-defense.