Yemen Police Crackdown on Sit-in, Kill One

Local Editor

A Yemeni man was shot dead Sunday when police tried to disperse a rebel sit-in blocking the road to Sanaa airport as part of a protest campaign, demonstrators said.

Police hurled tear gas canisters and deployed water cannons against demonstrators who had camped along the road near the Interior Ministry.

The protest organizing committee said one demonstrator was shot dead, adding that a number of protesters received gunshot wounds.

Sunday's move came after protesters did not heed an ultimatum to clear the area, and apparently after some approached a checkpoint leading to the nearby Interior Ministry.

The rebels, also known as Houthis or Ansarullah, have been pushing for the government's resignation, accusing it of corruption.
They have rejected overtures from President Abed Rabbou Mansour Hadi who has offered to name a new prime minister and reduce a disputed fuel price hike.

Rebel spokesman Mohammad Abdul-Salam accused the authorities of "using live bullets" against the demonstrators. "We hold the authorities responsible for the repercussions of this aggression, and we stress the right of our people to self-defense using all means if the aggression continues," he said in a statement.
But calm returned to the area later Sunday, despite protesters not clearing the blocked road.

Earlier in the day, protesters pitched new tents blocking access to the electricity and telecommunications ministries on Airport Road, where they have been demonstrating for weeks.
They also blocked access from the capital to the international airport.

Authorities deployed anti-riot police around the Interior Ministry.
The protesters erected cement road blocks along the road to the airport and wore yellow bands on their wrists and across their foreheads as a "warning" to authorities.
A source close to the presidency the Houthis have submitted a list of demands, including "uprooting corruption" as well as "giving them more powers within the public prosecution, accountability panel, national security services and the intelligence" services.

They also demanded that the president "consult with them on naming the new prime minister" and the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs and finance.
Under the presidential initiative, Hadi himself would name the four key ministers.
Yemen has been locked in a protracted transition since longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced from power in February 2012 after a deadly 11-month uprising.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team