Yemeni women stage massive protest

Sat Apr 16, 2011

In Yemen, thousands of outraged women have defended their right to protest in the capital and other cities over remarks made by President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

President Saleh had earlier said that it was un-Islamic for women to join men in demonstrations against him, Reuters reported.

In response, around 5,000 women took to the streets in Sana'a on Saturday. The protesters, who have filed a complaint against Saleh for disrespecting women's rights, marched from University Square to the office of Attorney General Abdullah al-Olafi.

Similar protests were held in the industrial city of Taizz, south of the capital, Sana'a. Sit-ins were also held there and in the city of Ibb.

Women argue that their participation in the demonstrations is religiously sound, and that the president is exploiting religion after failing to stop the protests through employing tribes and security forces.

The demonstrators continue to call on Saleh to step down after nearly three months of protests. While Saleh says civil war could break out if he steps down before an orderly transition, the protesters say they want him out immediately.

Meanwhile, a local Yemeni newspaper has revealed that Saleh will step down from power in 30 days upon the designation of a new vice president. This is according to a timetable set by the US and EU ambassadors.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/175168.html.