Protests Turn Deadly in Yemen After President’s Speech

Yesterday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh broke silence when he gave a speech from within Saudi Arabia’s borders, insisting that “those who have sought to drive him from power had an ‘incorrect understanding of democracy’”. Protests have since erupted after Saleh delivered his message, and Al-Jazeera reports that shootings took place leaving at least 11 dead. The report does not cite whether the deaths were intentional or accidental.

Additionally, anti-Saleh protesters have declared that Saleh is ‘politically dead’, citing that “restive southern provinces have been overrun by Islamic fighters, notably the local arm of al-Qaeda”. Al-Jazeera also reports that “opponents of Saleh claim he has deliberately let those factions take over Yemen’s south to play on fears of an expanding security threat”, leading to a rise in anti-Saleh protesters.