Police using live rounds and teargas wounded around 409 protesters who tried to march to a presidential palace in Yemen’s Red Sea city of Hudaida early on Monday, doctors said.
Residents said the demonstrators arranged the 2 am march in protest at a security crackdown on rallies in Taiz, south of the capital, that killed two and wounded hundreds on Sunday. A few thousand demonstrators took part in the march.
Protests inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia have brought President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule to the verge of collapse.
But the president, a perennial survivor, called on Sunday for an end to the violence, signalling he has no intention of resigning soon.
The provincial governor of Taiz later denied anyone was killed and said eight soldiers were among the injured, state media said.
“Armoured vehicles and tanks are surrounding us. They have spent three hours firing tear gas and bullets [in the air] in an effort to break up the protest,” said activist Bushra al-Maqtari.
Protests inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia have brought Saleh’s rule to the verge of collapse. But the president, a perennial survivor, called on Sunday for an end to the violence, signalling he has no intention of resigning soon.
“We call on the opposition coalition to end the crisis by ending sit-ins, blocking roads and assassinations, and they should end the state of rebellion in some military units,” Saleh told visiting supporters from Taiz province.
“We are ready to discuss transferring power, but in a peaceful and constitutional framework,” he added to chants of “No concessions after today!”.
His ruling party also said it had not received a proposed transition plan from opposition parties that envisages Saleh handing power to a vice president while steps are taken towards creating a national unity government and calling new elections. “We haven’t got it yet,” an official said.
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