Dozens of protesters wounded, others arrested in clashes with police across Yemen

by Mohamed al-Azaki, Wang Qiuyun

SANAA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of protesters demanding Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh immediately resign were injured Monday when police forces used live ammunition and tear gas to confront them from marching in five Yemeni provinces, including Sanaa, Taiz, Al-Hodayda, Ibb and Aden, protest organizers said.

The escalating tension came a day after the youth-led protesters issued a statement to reject the recent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan for Saleh to transfer power in exchange for immunity, vowing to step up their protests to force Saleh to leave and prosecute him along with his family members.

The protesters said in a statement Sunday that the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), which accepted the U.S.-backed Gulf initiative, "only represents itself," calling JMP to refrain from engaging in any deal with Saleh and to merge entirely with the protests that seek to ouster Saleh right away and rapidly prosecute his aides.

Dozens of protesters were injured in Sanaa, Al-Hodayda, Ibb and Aden by police live rounds, batons and tear gas. More than 57 were injured in Taiz, seven of them hit by bullets, and at least 10 others were arrested, a protest media organizer named Ali al-Fakih told Xinhua.

The clashes between protesters and armed government backers were still going on in the southern province of Taiz, where a local police official told Xinhua that the protesters were trying to storm into the presidential palace of Taiz during their march.

"This is riot, chaos and coup ... this is not a peaceful demonstration ... they attacked us and they were attempting to break into the presidential palace," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Such accusations were denied by protest organizers, while two eyewitnesses, who asked not to be named, said the march was heading to besiege Saleh's presidential palace in Taiz.

Eyewitnesses said sounds of warplanes could be heard over Taiz.

Elsewhere in southern Ibb province, at least three protesters were injured by police bullets and up to 30 others were wounded by batons and tear gas in clashes during the protest march in Al- Odain street in downtown Ibb, an eyewitness named Mohamed Qasim told Xinhua.

Provinces of Aden, Al-Hodayda and the capital Sanaa also witnessed sporadic clashes Monday, and protest organizers said tens of protesters suffered suffocation because of tear gas.

"In Al-Hodayda, the protesters today removed all pictures and posters of President Saleh," a provincial police official told Xinhua.

Yemen has faced since mid February political crisis ignited by opposition-backed street protests, which undermined the security and stability of the country.

Saleh, who earlier admitted losing control of several provinces, has accepted the recent Gulf plan for transfer power within 30 days, but repeatedly warned of civil war and national split if he is forced to step aside by protesters.

More than 130 demonstrators have been killed in clashes with the security forces since late January. There are also fears that the violence could escalate, as the majority of the country's 23 million people own guns.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-04/25/c_13845376.htm.