Middle East
Thousands in Yemen march against Saleh
Crowds on the streets for protests dubbed a "day of departure" but president
delivers a defiant speech to supporters.
Last Modified: 25 Mar 2011 13:34
Tens of thousands of protesters are on the streets of Sanaa, Yemen's capital,
to call for an end to Ali Abdullah Saleh's decades-long rule, as the embattled
president said he would only hand over power "to capable, responsible hands".
Addressing a large rally of his own supporters in a speech carried on state TV
earlier on Friday, Saleh said he was ready to meet with protesters, but warned
that those demanding his resignation had been influenced by the Houthis - a
powerful armed clan demanding greater autonomy in their region of the country -
and "drug dealers".
Saleh was president of North Yemen until its 1990 unification with the south -
and has ruled the country since.
But Al Jazeera's special correspondent, reporting from the capital's Change
Square - where 52 protesters were killed last Friday - said little new was
offered in the speech; on one hand, warning and threatening those standing
against him, and on the other, promising reforms and saying he would listen to
the demands of the people.
Soldiers who have abandoned the president and were deployed to protect
protesters in the square shot in the air to disperse groups of Saleh supporters
who were attempting to reach the protest after the president's speech.
'Peace, stability and security'
Saleh said the gathered crowds before him came "under no orders from any
political party or any leader, you came of your own free will, based on your
patriotic responsibility, from all corners of the country, on this great day
the Friday of peace, stability and security".
He continued: "Yes to stability and security, no to chaos and vandalism, no to
creating chaos, no to pillage and assault on government institutions. No to
pillage of the country's riches. To those who are protesting you did not
contribute to the country's achievements ...
Criticising the media, the Houthis and other political parties, Saleh said
protest organisers were "adventurous conspirators" who were "acting out of
malice".
But he added to those taking part in demonstrations: "My fellow citizens, those
holding the sit-ins, I am prepared to sit with you and to respond to each one
of your demands. You should not be a vehicle for the malicious to ruin every
great aspect of life ... the country is a trust and responsibility for you.
"We need to hand over the banner of rule to honest hands, capable hands - not
malicious hands. We are prepared to give up power, but only to good people,
after elections. We are against chaos and mayhem. The demonstrators in [Change]
Square are targeted by the Houthis and drug traffickers."
Protesters undeterred
But, at the protesters' rally across the city, where tens of thousands of
people gathered for Friday prayers in front of Sanaa university, the positive
mood remained unchanged, said our correspondent.
Go on a tour of Change Square with Al Jazeera's special correspondent, in a
web-exclusive video
"In some way, he is playing to some peoples' fears, that, after Saleh leaves,
there will be some kind of military rule and that there are political
aspirations behind the defections from the army - despite the fact that Ali
Mohsen, the key general who defected earlier this week, has said very clearly
that if he wanted to take power, he would have done so decades ago - and that
he has no political aspirations," said Al Jazeera's reporter in Sanaa.
"What the people really want to see is for a five-man presidential council to
take control in the interim period, until elections can be held - because they
simply don't believe that if elections are held under the current regime that
they will be free and fair."
Earlier in the day, the city had split, with water cannon reportedly mounted on
the side of the dividing line that holds the presidential palace - itself
surrounded by Saleh's republican guard. It threatened to be a flashpoint for
violence if protesters attempted to march, as many expected they would, the 5km
to the palace.
Defecting general
General Ali Mohsen has thrown his weight behind the protesters and sent troops
to protect pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa. He said the options before Saleh
were now few, and criticised what he described as Saleh's "stubbornness", but
said the armed forces were committed to protecting protesters.
He also said military rule in Arab countries was outdated and that the people
would decide who would govern them in the framework of a modern, civilian state.
Mohsen, commander of the northwest military zone and Saleh's kinsman from the
al-Ahmar clan, is the most senior military officer to back the protests, and
his move on Monday triggered a stream of defections in the military and
government, adding momentum to the opposition movement.
Previous offer rejected
On Thursday night, opposition groups dismissed Saleh's offer to stand down
after a presidential election at the end of the year, stepping up efforts to
remove him from power.
Yassin Noman, head of Yemen's opposition coalition, dismissed Saleh's earlier
offer as "empty words" and a spokesman said the umbrella coalition would not
respond.
"No dialogue and no initiatives for this dead regime," opposition spokesman
Mohammed al-Sabry said on Thursday.
Protesters are demanding a new constitution and the dissolution of parliament,
local councils and the notorious state security agencies - as well as the
immediate resignation of President Saleh.
Saleh offered amnesty to defecting troops, calling their decisions "foolish
acts", taken in reaction to last Friday's deaths.
Washington, which has urged US citizens to leave Yemen, warned those remaining
to stay away from demonstrations.
Britain said it had drawn up plans for a possible military evacuation of its
citizens who remain in Yemen.
Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament he had reports that oil
companies were withdrawing their staff, and part of the British embassy staff
was being withdrawn from Sanaa ahead of Friday's protests.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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Topics in this article
People
* Ali Abdullah Saleh
* Ali Mohsen
* Mohammed al-Sabry
* William Hague
* Yassin Noman
Country
* Yemen
* Britain
* United States
City
* Sanaa
* Washington
Organisation
* Amnesty
* Sanaa University
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