Yemen: Amid Large Protests, Will Saleh Go The Way of Ben Ali?

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a on Thursday to call for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.  The protests continue the trend inspired by the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia and recent protests in Egypt.  Laura Kasinof, writing for The Christian Science Monitor, argues that regime change in Yemen is unlikely.  The protests have been peaceful and there has been much less of a heavy police presence, as seen in Tunisia and Egypt.  She also noted that neither the ruling party nor the opposition wants a popular uprising Tunisia-style.  Brian O’Neill, former editor of the Yemen Observer, also cautions against drawing links between what is going on in Tunisia and Egypt and the protests in Yemen.  He states that the protests in the capital, largely by university students, and protests in the south are fundamentally different protests.  The Southern Movement has been calling for secession not for democratic reforms from the Saleh regime.