Yemen: protest against government' s policies of starvation and political restriction

Thousands take to streets in Yemen

Written by Ady Cousins

Thousands of Yemeni demonstrators took to streets on Thursday in several major cities to protest against what they said "government' s policies of starvation and political restriction, " said officials and eyewitnesses.

Image: AFP - Yemenis protest

The largest opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs) organized protest demonstrations in Sanaa, the capital, and in the provinces of Taiz and al-Jouf, as well as a number of cities in the south, said an official of the Interior Ministry who demanded not to be identified.

According to eyewitnesses, rallies also demanded the government release all southern political prisoners who were detained during demonstrations in the southern provinces.

In the rallies, protestors shouted against the government's economic policies and raised banners in which they denounced "the government's policies of hunger and intimidation against political activists," said witnesses who attended the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, in the southern provinces of al-Dhalee, Lahj and Abyan, weekly demonstrations were organized each Thursday to press the government to free political activists from jails.

According to local media, there were at least two people wounded in clashes with security forces in al-Dhalee province on Thursday.