Inspired by Tunisia and Egypt, Yemenis join in anti-government protests

By Sudarsan Raghavan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, January 27, 2011

SANAA, YEMEN - Inspired by the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia, thousands of Yemenis took to 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 in this capital in recent memory, unfolded in four neighborhoods. Protesters wore pink scarves and pink bandanas and clutched pink placards. Some described their struggle as "the Pink Revolution," an allusion to Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution.

"Thirty-two years is enough. Tunisia revolted after 23 years," some chanted.

"Look at Tunisia with pride," others chanted. "Yemen has strong people, too."

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.

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