SANAA, YEMEN - Thousands of Yemenis took the streets Thursday demanding an end to the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled this impoverished Middle Eastern nation for more than three decades.
The rally, one of the largest demonstrations this capital has seen in recent memory, unfolded in four different neighborhoods and was inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Yemen's unrest represents a widening of the upheavals unfolding across the Arab world. It poses yet another threat to the stability of this U.S. ally, which al-Qaeda militants are using as a base to target the West and its allies.
"Look at Tunisia with pride," the crowds chanted. "Yemen has strong people, too."
The protests followed two days of riots in Egypt and daily demonstrations on the streets of Tunisian capital, Tunis. But unlike the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Thursday's rally here was peaceful. It was fueled by boisterous opposition party members, from socialists to Islamists, and youth activists.
Protesters shut down streets, sang songs and shouted patriotic slogans, as soldiers and riot police wearing helmets and carrying batons and shields watched. Security was tight around the capital.
"The people want the president replaced," the crowds chanted. "Live free, Yemen."
The poorest country in the Middle East, Yemen is struggling with many of the same problems faced in other Arab nations, including high unemployment, low wages, rising prices and widespread corruption. In addition to the threat posed by al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,the weak government is grappling with a rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south.
In the wake of the Tunisian rebellion and growing tensions here, Saleh raised the salaries of the army and denied accusations that he was trying to anoint his son as his successor. He also ordered income taxes cut in half and sought adequate controls on inflation.
But despite his efforts to defuse the unrest, Yemenis from all walks of life have taken to the streets over the past two weeks, calling for Saleh's removal. It is a demand that few citizens in the past would have dared to utter.
More than 10,000 protesters descended on Hurriyah (Freedom) Street outside the campus of Sanaa University. Witnesses said a similar number, if not more, gathered in the capital's Hasabah enclave, near the house of the former leader of Islah, the nation's major Islamist party. Thousands more gathered at the two other locations.
A pro-government rally in the capital, also held at four different locations, attracted far fewer supporters.
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemeni government spokesman, said there were no major clashes or arrests, and he described the police presence as minimal.
"The government of the Republic of Yemen strongly respects the democratic right for a peaceful assembly," Basha said in a statement.
