Yemenis protest ‘Saleh terrorism’

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Yemen’s capital yesterday to denounce violence a day after a failed attempt to assassinate the defence minister killed 12 people. Protesters answering a call to demonstrate “against terrorism and assassinations” also slammed ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh whom they accuse of fuelling violence, and called for an end to his immunity from prosecution. “Terrorism and Al Qaeda are Ali Saleh and his sons,” chanted demonstrators in the protest called by a group of activists from the Committee of Youth of the Peaceful Revolution. “No immunity for the killer!” they shouted, referring to the immunity granted to Saleh and his aides under a Gulf-brokered deal last year in which he stood down, bowing to domestic and international pressure. The protesters marched from Sittin Avenue in Sanaa’s northern district past President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s residence before gathering at Change Square, the focus of last year’s protest movement in which hundreds of people died nationwide. “Hadi, sack the rest, Hadi!” they chanted a day after the new president removed senior security chiefs seen as loyal to Saleh. Among those removed was the head of the country’s National Security force, Ali al-Anisi, and Saleh’s half-brother Ali Saleh al-Ahmar, who was director of the office of the armed forces’ top commander. During his 33 years in power, Saleh chose his aides carefully, appointing relatives to head security services. From gulf times.