Yemeni Protesters March to New Areas in Sana'a, Exerting More Pressure on Dictator Saleh

Yemeni Protesters March to New Areas in Sana'a, Exerting More Pressure on Dictator Saleh

October 6, 2011

Editor's Note:

The Yemeni revolution is the least covered in the media despite the fact that Yemenis have suffered almost nine long months of protests against the dictator.

The corporate media have ignored the brave Yemeni revolutionaries and their sacrifices because Yemen does not have oil and away from Israel.

Moreover, the dictatorial regime played Al-Qaeda card, that it is defending the US against the fictitious organization, which does not exist except in the minds of those who want to maintain their jobs.

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Protesters challenge red lines

Sadeq Al-Wesabi
Yemen Times, 03-10-2011
SANA’A, Oct. 2—

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Sana’a held a massive demonstration last Sunday, demanding the departure of the regime and trial of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The demonstrators also strongly condemned the ‘inflammatory fatwa’ issued by some of Saleh’s clerics to prohibit the protests against the leader. The demonstrators considered this fatwa a declaration of war and a justification for the regime to kill more protesters.

The march passed through new areas in which many pro-regime soldiers have been deployed. Many protesters greeted the soldiers of Republican Guard and Central Security. The demonstration was staged amid a political standoff. President Saleh still refuses to sign the Gulf initiative that grants him immunity from prosecution.

However, the revolutionaries vowed to escalate their actions and hold demonstrations in new areas of the capital, in which snipers are reportedly deployed in the rooftops of many buildings.

One protester, Mohammed Al-Emad, said that although the protesters passed through dangerous areas there were no new attacks Sunday. “We crossed the red lines for the first time. It’s our escalation plan to cross new places to reach new districts in Sana’a.” Al-Emad indicated that the revolutionaries plan to intensify their demonstrations until the regime leaves office.

Mohammed Saeed, a youth activist and anti-regime protester, said that the demonstration was exceptional.

“Our demonstration was not obstructed by the security and was not assaulted by thugs and snipers as usual. The regime is now deploying its heavy security and snipers on the roads leading to the presidential palace only,” said Saeed.

“We aimed in this well-planned demonstration to raise awareness of the importance of people’s participation in the revolution in different areas of Yemen,” he said. “Many people from different districts joined Sunday’s demonstration enthusiastically and chanted against the regime.”

Saeed said that the announcement of the demonstration was sudden. He noted that the next rallies will also be announced on short notice to confuse the regime. According to Saeed, the revolutionaries will continue to escalate their actions over the next two weeks.

“If UN envoy Bin Omar doesn’t secure a political solution we will hold rallies in the ways into the presidential palace,” said Saeed.

“Unfortunately, the regime keeps on providing justifications for avoiding a political agreement,” he said. “The regime wants to ignite a civil war. Some of the regime’s officials think they will defeat the revolutionaries. They don’t know that it’s impossible to defeat all Yemenis.”

Although the tensions between defected army units and the Republican Guards have not exploded militarily, intermittent clashes renewed on Saturday night at Hail and 16th Streets, one of the entry points to Change Square where the anti-government sit-ins are focused.

“Last night the Republican Guards fired two RPG blasts into Hail and 16th Streets to discover how many of the First Armored Division [the defected army] are in the area,” said Adnan Al-Rajhi who was present when the fighting erupted. “The Division replied using medium-size weapons,” he said.

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Friday, May 13, 2011 protest in Sana'a

Government agents fire at protesters, May 12, 2011

Government agents fire at protesters in Ta'ez, August 9, 2011

The Ta'ez massacre, committed by government forces against protesters, September 15, 2011.

May 9, 2011

Sana'a stadium massacre, April 27, 2011

Revolution rally in Ebb, April 27, 2011

Tearing down the dictator's poster in Al-Hudayda, April 11, 2011

April 11, 2011 protests

Protests and songs

Government snipers fire at protesters in Sana'a, April 6, 2011.

A rapper and protesters sing, "The People Want Throwing Out the Regime." April 3, 2011.

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The revolutionaries vowed to escalate their actions and hold demonstrations in new areas of the capital. Photo by Mohammed Al-Emad

Protesters challenge red lines

Sadeq Al-Wesabi
Yemen Times, 03-10-2011
SANA’A, Oct. 2—

Anti-regime demonstrations increase amid political deadlock

Sadeq Al-Wesabi
Yemen Times, 29-09-2011
SANA’A, Sept. 28 —

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy Yemenis held two mass demonstrations last Wednesday in Sana’a demanding that Saleh step down. They called also for President’s trial.

Male revolutionaries staged their demonstration in the morning while the female held their rally in the evening. The female protesters demanded that president Saleh step down and condemned the violence acts against the peaceful protesters. Their demonstration was heavily guarded by the dissident 1st Armored Division.

The female demonstrators chanted, “Female revolutionaries have the right to protest”, “O international community look at terrorism… Ali [president] kills the youth”, “Resolving the revolution is our demand… and weapon won’t terrorize us”. They also raised slogans saying, “People want to build a new Yemen,”

During the last week, tens of pro-democracy protesters were killed and thousands wounded by Saleh’s security. However, the crackdown against the protesters has increased their determination to overthrow the regime. They vowed to escalate their actions and hold daily rallies against the regime.

Fakhr Al-Azab, spokesman of the Organizing Committee of the Youth Revolution told the Yemen Times that the recent rallies were held as a program of escalation that aims to overthrow the regime.

He highly praised the determination of the revolutionaries, expressing his admiration for the female revolutionaries who “made an effective and vital contribution towards the revolution.”

“We demanded during the rallies the trial of President Saleh with his inner circle for their crimes against peaceful protesters,” he said.

The demonstrators also called for the international community to adopt a clear stance on the revolution.

“We called on the international community to hear us carefully. They should respect our aspiration for the change,” said Al-Azab. “Our demands are perfectly legitimate. We seek justice, freedom and building a new civil state. We want to assure the international community that Yemen and regional security will be safer after Saleh’s departure. We plan to build a strong relations with other countries based on cooperation and mutual interests,”

Youth activist Sabah Badri Bakir speaks to Yemen Times

Yemen’s youth have great values and different thoughts
Sabah Badri Bakir YT photo by Sadeq Al-Wesabi

Sadeq Al-Wesabi
Yemen Times, 22-09-2011

Sabah Badri Bakir is a struggling youth activist who has dedicated herself to the development of youth in Yemen. She is widely admired for her valuable contribution towards the Yemeni youth.

Many Yemeni youth have been trained by her. Thus, some of them describe her as a mother of many Yemeni children.

Since her childhood, Sabah was a very active and eager to be a volunteer. She was working hard and enthusiastically and she didn’t care about financial returns at all. “Volunteerism in Yemen is misunderstood. For me, Volunteerism means how to invest your time and your efforts well without any return.”

Sabah has a different vision of how Yemeni NGOs should work. She is dissatisfied with the current performance of Yemen’s NGOs that, “Put their interest above public interest,” she said.

“Unfortunately, cooperation and coordination between Yemeni NGOs is very weak,” she added.

She is also known for her developmental philosophy. “Development doesn’t mean building schools or hospitals. Development means creating chances for people,” she said.

For over ten years, Sabah has been working for several reputable organizations, foundations, and initiatives.

Her expertise is in youth programming, participatory planning with youth, capacity building, civil society strengthening, community mobilization, and training.

She has worked with mainstream youth and with youth with disabilities as a professional and as a volunteer, with the aim of empowering them and making their voices heard. She has also worked in the field of conflict management during the war of secession in 1994.

In 2004, she was the office manager of the Commission of Scouting in Yemen. She took the lead in re-organizing scouting as it was implemented in Yemen and managed to get much more girls involved in scouting activities. She was also responsible in organizing an annual summer camps for scouts and others all over the country.

She was also able to generate a range of extra resources for youth to support the Siraj Youth Empowerment Program in Yemen.

However, Sabah hasn’t always had good experiences in her work. “During my work in many organizations, I was fully exploited instead of being invested well,” she said.

However, Sabah isn’t depressed about her experience. “Although I was exploited I still gained skills and knowledge from these experiences.”

Earlier this year, she became an executive manager of the newly-established For All Foundation.

“I aspire, through this foundation, to change the life of many Yemeni youths for the better,” said Sabah.

One of the recent positions given to Sabah is the office manager of the Ministry of Sports and Youth. She was directly reporting to the Minster of Youth and Sports where she took the lead in the setting up and strengthening the office into a ministry that now has an important function in the government.

Sabah criticized Yemeni NGOs that depend totally on international donations, stressing the importance of Yemen’s private sector contribution towards the Yemeni NGOs.

She indicated that some beneficiaries of international donation have become dependent on the funding. “Some IDPs in Haradh camps, Hajja Governorate, are completely dependent upon international donations. They don’t depend on themselves even in simple things that don’t need help such as re-erecting their tents.”

“We should provide those IDPs with useful projects that help them for the rest of their life,” said Sabah.

Presently, Sabah is fully occupied with a new challenging project. She is gearing up for a seven-month project that aims to qualify 140 young people from war-torn Abyan Governorate to be able to start their own businesses. “Yemeni youth have great skills but need support and encouragement,”

According to Sabah, there are many Yemeni organizations that work without offices and some founders of such organizations hold stamps and all documents of their foundations in their briefcases. “We have many fake organizations and foundations that have licenses from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs but have no any activity or any active programs.”

“All organizations and foundations in Yemen must be under careful and serious observation,” she added.

“Yemen’s youth are very enthusiastic about development and have intellectual abilities to change into better but they didn’t find the organization or the foundation that support them and make their voices heard. Our youth have great values and different thoughts,” she said, praising the ability of Yemeni youth.

Anas Al-Kherbi, a youth activist and one of the Sabah’s trainees, talked about Sabah, saying, “Sabah has changed my character. She has taught me how to be effective in changing my community.”

“She gave me a new perspective on life and she has expanded my horizons. She is really the mother of Yemeni youth,” said Al-Kherbi.

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