July 27, 2012
Yemenis have staged an anti-US
demonstration in the northern city of Sa'ada to protest against Washington’s
interference in their country’s internal affairs.
Thousands of Yemenis took to the
streets in Sa’ada on Friday to show anger with US meddling and urged the
government to sever all ties with Washington.
They also accused Saudi Arabia of
interfering in Yemen’s affairs.
Meanwhile, thousands of Yemenis
took to the streets in the capital, Sana'a and several other cities, to demand
the removal of relatives of deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh from power
positions in the government, the military and security apparatus.
They also called for the
prosecution of Saleh and his aides over the killing of nearly 2,000 protesters
during the country's revolution last year.
Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33
years, stepped down under a US-backed power transfer deal in February in return
for immunity, after nearly a year of mass street protests against his rule.
He was replaced by his deputy
Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi in a single-candidate presidential election backed by the
US and Saudi Arabia.
In a bid to end anti-Saleh protest
rallies, Yemeni President Hadi in April replaced nearly 20 senior military
generals, including air force commander General Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, a half
brother of Saleh, and the commander of Presidential Guard General Tariq
Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, who is a nephew of Saleh.
Saleh's nephew Yahya, who
commanded the Central Security Services, was also dismissed from his post in
March shortly after more than 90 soldiers were killed and many others injured
in a bomb blast targeting troops rehearsing for a military parade to celebrate
Yemen's National Unity Day.