The struggle of anti-government protesters in Yemen
Protests in Yemen Photo: CNN
Protest in the Middle East has risen recently since January 2011 and Yemen is not far off from the exchange of ideas sweeping the Middle East like a wind of change. Yemen has for the past few weeks now have engaged in peaceful demonstrations demanding an end to the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh which has lasted for over 32 years.
It was in late 2010 and early 2011, protesters started to demand President Saleh end his three-decade long reign in power with allegations of widespread corruption and human rights abuses carried out by Saleh himself, as well as the lack of democratic reforms. The growing unrest in his country led him to release statement on February 2, 2011, that he would no longer seek reelection in 2013, but rather would finish out his term. The people started to lose confidence in his regime and at least 11 Members of Parliament resigned from his party, with the growing protest in Yemen.
It was only on Tuesday March 8, 2011 when hundreds of tribesmen from the town of Khawlan in the Sana’a governorate organized a convoy of over 200 cars to join the anti-Saleh Protesters camping outside the Sana’a University campus in the capital. Protests were occurring all over the country simultaneously in Mareb Province which is approximately 170 kilometers east of Sana’a to also showed support. Police used live ammunition to disperse thousands of peaceful protesters in two of Yemen’s southern governorates, but no deaths or causalities were reported.
The peaceful anti-government protests were shattered with heavy gun fire being heard south of the Yemen Capital on Monday the 14th of March 2011 when almost 40 protesters were injured when police opened fire to disperse demonstrations in Yemen, a strategic US ally in the fight against al-Qaeda, officials said.
At least eight people have died in a clashes since Saturday March 12th, raising the death toll from this unrest in Yemen to over 50. The United States, who have spoken highly of Saleh as a bulwark against the workings of al-Qaeda network in Yemen, has condemned the bloodshed and backed the human right to peaceful demonstrations.
Soldiers and armored vehicles tried to cut off an area in the capital of Sanaa, where around 20, 000 anti-government supporters have been camped out for weeks. Taha Qayed who was supporting the movement said in a statement “We’re expecting an attack at any minute, but we’re not leaving until the regime fails.” The anti-government protesters have attempted to demonstrate peacefully but they are facing a government that is armed and ready to shoot to kill at any given time.
Crowds have been recorded chanting “Leave, leave you murderer.” Police fired in the air to try to break up tens of thousands of protesters in Taiz, 200 Kilometers south of the capital Sanaa. There was at least three people hurt but protest continues in the Middle East.
Saleh already has made many verbal concessions to the protesters to return home, promising to step down in 2013 and offering a new constitution giving more powers to parliament, but he has continued to avoid the main demand of the people which is that he leave office immediately. He recently fired his entire Cabinet because their support of him as President was diminishing.
As an update: Tanks have been deployed in Sanna, the capital city and there are further reports of dozens of killings. Top General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar now says he will back the protesters. Another two senior army commanders have also resigned. Discussions are now taking place to arrange President Saleh’s resignation over the next year and a peaceful transition of power.
Here’s the problem: when you talk to covaernstives about the problem, OWS conjures up memories of Woodstock. Also, the French revolution, which ended badly. Because the media is doing everything in their power to vilify OWS, it is a hard tide to row against to get to more conservative minds.To reach a more conservative audience, I have found the following helpful:• I do not refer to the general angst against capitalism. There are a lot of problematic elements in capitalism and a lot of cronyism there, but for the sake of simplicity, and to win over republicans to the top problems gripping us, I refer only to the names of the banksters who need to be in handcuffs, and the prosecutions which must continue. And the gargantuan size of the banks, contributing to their villainous power.• I draw distinctions between honest, free market capitalism which generates a macro economy and the cronyism which has taken over.•I use this site to refer to the articles appealing to a conservative audience. Articles on WB re: the constitution, free market ideology, the concerns of the framers, and the fact that we covaernstives love the rule of law tend to resonate.• I do not use the terms 99% or 1% because covaernstives have developed a disdain for OWS, thanks to conservative news outlets, that are either bank owned or are focused on an election and want to vilify Barack Obama.•Whenever anyone expresses disdain for OWS, I immediately defend OWS and point out the conservative values that OWS supports, like defending the constitution and the rule of law. I immediately draw their attention to the unfair and violent treatment visited upon them by bank-owned security forces (the police), and the shutting down of their first amendment rights.•I draw parallels to our day and fascist, pre-Nazi, Germany. Although people were hearing snips here and there, the media was controlled at the top and citizens were not being honestly informed. Ditto in this climate.•I send friends and family (conservative and less than conservative, as well as liberal) to this site.•Especially helpful are the recent articles appealing to conservative values, such as the constitution, the rule of law, and the foresight of the framers on banking matters. I should add that more liberal minds also have some value for these rights as well.•I invite them to develop a healthy skepticism about news outlets they have come to trust that reinforce their conservative ideology, which are vilifying OWS, and are thus generating disdain for the movement. I try to show them how the media is manipulating their thinking during an election cycle, to turn the tide against Obama, when OWS is actually trying to defend the constitutional principles that they hold dear.•Conservatives generally blame Obama and Washington for the taxpayer bailout, not seeing the bigger, global picture that is going on internationally. I point out that Obama is not the one inflating and deflating other countries. He is a puppet for more powerful, and more evil, forces.