Clashes Between Protesters and Saleh Loyalists

Thousands of youth on Friday morning marched from Change Square in Sana'a toward Naqeel Yasleh, northern Sana'a, to welcome a massive foot march, called “March of Life”, coming from Taiz, almost 280 km from Sana'a.

When Sana'a march arrived in Kahaza area Friday afternoon some gunmen opened fire and threw stones at the march, wounding five marchers, three with live bullets and two others with stones.

The organizers of the “March of Life” said the march would arrive in Change Square in Sana'a on Saturday.

Youth in freedom and changes squares in Sana'a and other cities said that the “March of Life is a legend march that refreshed the process of the revolutionary escalation after a revolutionary deadlock for a while due to political settlements.”

Thousands of people in Ibb and Dhamar joined the “March of Life” and tribes vowed to protect it until it arrives in Sana'a.

Interior Ministry in the new National Consensus Government sent soldiers and military vehicles to protect the march which is expected to arrive in Sana'a on Saturday afternoon.

Many marchers, including 200 women from Taiz and other cities, are suffering cold, fever, breaks in the foot and muscle strain.

The marchers said that the “March of Life” is a clear message to the National Consensus Government and the international community and brokers of the Gulf initiative that revolutionaries reject granting President Ali Abdullah Saleh and aides immunity from prosecution after hundreds of protesters were killed over the past ten months in several cities.

Taiz, where the Yemeni peaceful revolution broke out in February 2011, was heavily shelled by forces loyal to President Saleh.