The wave of protests reached Yemen on Thursday. Thousands of citizens demonstrated in Sanaa, urging the country's President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 33 years in power.
"Enough being in power for 30 years," chanted the protesters, according to AFP. They also referred to the toppling of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, saying he was "gone in just (over) 20 years."
An opposition activist conveyed that staging the demonstration in four separate locations was aimed at distracting the security forces.
Meanwhile, Saleh's ruling General People's Congress, has reacted by staging four simultaneous counter demonstrations attended by thousands of the government's backers. "No to toppling democracy and the constitution," the president's supporters said in their banners.
