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Yemen's Saleh says won't be forced out by 'anarchy'
Sana'a- Feb 21, 2011, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said protesters demanding an end to his 32-year rule could not achieve their goal through "anarchy and killing", after nationwide unrest which has killed 12 people since Thursday.
In the latest violence, soldiers shot dead a teenager in the southern port city of Aden on Monday. Four others were wounded when the troops fired on youths throwing stones at their patrol. (Reuters)
Yemen police arrests four anti-gov't protesters amid spreading protests
SANAA, Feb. 21, 2011 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni security forces arrested four anti-government protesters and prevented others from staging a peaceful rally in Yemen's southeast province of Shabwa on Monday, a local official told Xinhua.
Saleh al-Kudaim, Ahmed Faraj, Mahdi Salmain and Abdullah al- Abdain were arrested, who along with other hundreds of anti- government protesters, staged protest march towards downtown Ataq, the provincial capital city of Shabwa," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"Heavy police forces were deployed to the scene and dispersed the protesters who shouted slogans demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh," he added.
Saleh, who has been in power for more than 30 years, promised earlier this month he would not seek re-election or pass power to his son after his presidential term expires in 2013, vowing to achieve more political and economic reforms.
Losses Reported as Protests Escalate in Yemen
Fuad Rajeh
Sana'a-Feb 20, 2011, As the peaceful protests demanding the departure of the regime entered a new stage in Yemen, traders in the capital Sana'a said on Sunday violent protests and bullies have started to affect their businesses causing losses initially estimated in tens of millions of Yemeni riyals.
Shops continue to close down amid fears of acts of bullies and violent demonstrators, particularly in populous areas such as Tahrir Square in downtown Sana'a.
These areas have resembled ghost towns, traders complained.
Large tents such as those in Tahrir Square forced many shops in one of the most shopping hubs in the capital to close down after transport means and people have become unable to reach shops, shopkeepers told the News Yemen.
"Traders are concerned as many unfamiliar people [bullies] armed with batons are roaming the streets without specific goals," a restaurant owner was quoted as saying by the website.
Small businesses reported more than YR 70 million in losses so far as daily shopping arteries including Tahrir Square and Sana'a University have become gathering points for protests that turn violent, deputy chairman of the Secretariat Capital Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
Also, big institutions including banks have closed down and closures are continuing as the protests are continuing to expand and spread across the republic, said Muhammad Salah.
In response to the complaint of the traders, the chamber and local officials held a meeting that urged to eliminate the tents in Tahrir Square and the protesters to avoid populous areas, he said, adding that the meeting also urged the shops to reopen.
Uprising Underway in Yemen as Tens of Thousands Vow 'Sit-Ins Until Regime Ousted'
Fuad Rajeh
Sana'a-Feb 20, 2011, Tens of thousands of Yemeni people started on Sunday indefinite sit-ins in several provinces including the capital Sana'a, Taiz, Ibb and Aden.
The move comes as the Joint Meeting Parties, the opposition, has just joined the popular and youth protests across the republic demanding the ouster of the regime.
In Sana'a, thousands of people, mostly college students, and including MPs and activists, are continuing their protest day and night at Sana'a University.
Today, they vowed to start a sit-in and not to leave their place until the government was ousted.
We urge the regime, the president and his gangsters [government] who are looting the public properties, to quit and we demand radical political changes, said Arafat Al-Daghshari, a 25-year graduate.
"We will stage a sit-in here until the regime was out. The bullies who attack us are mercenaries and they can't stop us or make us abandon our strife," he added.
Another protester said the moves the regime is taking to thwart their protest and force them to give up mean this regime is 'stupid'.
"Our corrupt regime is hiring bullies and paying them everyday to attack us with batons, rocks and sometimes they shoot us, but all this regime is taking does not work……we are very determined: the regime must be out or we die for the sake of liberation," said Eisa Al-Sanawi, 27.
"The moves by the regime reflect disrespect for freedoms and democracy".
Saleh has been in power for almost 32 years as Yemen continues to be undeveloped and not liberated from oppression and tyranny, said Eisa, adding: "the Saleh regime is tyrannizing the Yemeni people more than colonialism does".
This regime should go out of office….. much better it leaves the country, he said.
"What an irony: the regime is hiring bullies to attack the peaceful demonstrators with batons and rocks as it calls for dialogue," said Muhammad Musheiki, 29.
We will not give up our rights and we are determined to continue our peaceful strife after Tunisia and Egypt, he said.
In Taiz, Aden, Ibb and other cities, thousands are continuing their protests demanding the removal of the regime.
They are camping at areas some of which have become now called Tahrir Square as the ruling party is continuing the occupation of Tahrir Squares in Sana'a and Taiz preventing protesters from going to them in a bid to avoid an Egypt-like revolution.
More than a dozen protesters have been killed and dozens wounded after the protests escalated in the country following the resignation of Egyptian President Mubarak.
Though the protesters, mostly young, are being fed with soaring unemployment rates, poverty, widespread corruption and patronage, the protests were inspired by the revolts that forced the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes out of office in the last two months.
Don't go: Demonstrations spur travel warnings by Foreign Affairs
OTTAWA—Feb 20, 2011, Pro-democracy unrest in parts of Africa and the Middle East has inspired a veritable flood of Canadian government travel warnings in recent weeks.
The demonstrations started in Tunisia, spread to Egypt and now much of the region is caught up in anti-government protests, many of which are turning violent.
The Foreign Affairs Department has issued numerous travel advisories and official warnings in the last month regarding Tunisia, Egypt, Djibouti and Yemen, among others.
