Thousands Protest Against Government in Yemen

By NADA BAKRI and J. DAVID GOODMAN
NYT

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Yemen became the latest Arab state to plunge into political turmoil on Thursday, joining Egypt and Tunisia, as thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the capital and other regions to demand a change in government.

Organizers of the protests in Yemen, one of the Middle East’s most impoverished countries and a haven for Al Qaeda militants, said they were inspired by the protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there earlier this month. The Tunisian revolt’s contagion also has played a role in the violent Egyptian demonstrations that have shaken the government there.

At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere in the Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local news media reports. Some carried banners and marched in color-coordinated groups.

The government responded by sending a large number of security forces into the streets, said Nasser Arabyee, a Yemeni journalist in Sana reached by phone.

“There are very strict security measures, antiriot forces,” he said, adding that security forces for the moment were closely monitoring the gatherings and that no clashes had been reported.

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