Fresh anti-Saudi protests in Yemen

Angry Yemeni protesters have held rallies in the southwestern city of Taizz, condemning foreign interference in the country's internal affairs. Protesters voiced outrage over Saudi Arabia's support for the dictatorial Yemeni regime, saying that Riyadh has no right to meddle in Yemen's politics, a Press TV correspondent reported. “O cursed Saudi Arabia. We will never step back,” chanted the demonstrators. Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh is currently in Saudi Arabia, where he fled to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained in a June 3 attack on the presidential palace. In a popular revolution, thousands of people have been turning out for regular demonstrations in Yemen's major cities since January. They have been calling for an end to corruption and unemployment and demanding the ouster of Saleh, who has been in office since 1978. Hundreds of protesters have been killed and many more injured during the uprising as a result of the brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters by military forces and bands of thugs loyal to Saleh's dictatorship. The people protest that Saudi Arabia and the United States are attempting to smother the popular uprising. During the Thursday protests, the public carried banners that read "It is hypocritical of the US to fight against a dictator in Libya but to protect and support Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh." They also urged the swift formation of a transitional council -- a measure hoped to enable transfer of power into their hands. “Freedom…Freedom…raise your voices louder for the transitional council,” they shouted.