Despite the recent bouts of violence, protesters across Yemen were determined to participate in what has become their weekly march against the regime. Like in precedents weeks, the dissident forces loyal to General Mohsen were there to shield them from potential attacks from the government forces.
In scenes similar to that of previous weeks, the protesters chanted their frustrations at the regime, defiant and united, in spite of it all, maybe because of it all.
"The Yemeni people have decided they will not stop until they are free. Free people go on with this revolt, it is for good."
We will not be broken. We die or win.”
Across the country, the same chants were chorused by hundreds of thousands of anti-regime protesters, men and women from all walks of life, clamming for the fall of the house of Saleh. Because unlike Tunisia or Egypt, Yemenis not only wish to see their president resign, they are demanding the departure of his entire coterie.
The pro-Saleh also held a rally in the capital Sana’a, calling for Saleh to return from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he is convalescing since early June, following a bomb attack on his presidential compound.
This Thursday, amid yet more violence in Taiz, Hodeidah and Sana’a, Sultan al-Barakani, the deputy leader of the General People’s Congress pressed the Youth to engage into a real dialogue with the regime, promising to give them a real voice instead of the lies of the JMP (aka the Opposition) which he claimed was “stealing their revolution by giving them only 5% representation on the illegitimate National Yemeni Council for the Revolution.”