Protests Overflow South Yemen On Southern Prisoner's Day

Observed by : Mr. Alaa Isam

Several protests were organized in southern Yemen by the Southern Movement on the Southern Prisoner's Day that is staged on Thursdays to demand the release of Southern Movement leaders and activists in local jails and others in the Yemeni capital (Sana'a.)

A rally procession and demonstration were conducted in al-Habilyn district (one of Radfan's districts) in Lahej province, where hundreds of Southern Movement supporters chanted slogans and verses against the Yemeni central government in Sana'a, call for secession, raising flags of former South Yemen and photographs of the southern leader, Ali Salem al-Beidh who lives in exile.

A second demonstration was witnessed in Lawder, where hundreds of people gathered in a yard in the city, that had witnessed military operations against suspects of the al-Qaeda.

A number of speeches were delievered in the protest including a speech by sheikh Nasser Saeed al-Danbua who demanded the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to leave "the south," adding "this will be better for him, the area, and the world”.

The demonstration was preceded by a rally procession in which people reiterated slogans against the Yemeni unity.

Another protest was launched in al-Aram area, in Shabwah province, while Ahmed Ba'mualim, the Southern Movement leader in the neighboring province of Hadrmout, participated in it.

Ahmed Ba'mualim was exposed to an attempt of arrest by Yemeni security forces raided on his house during his absence.

And in Hadrnout province (southeastern Yemen), a security force dispersed two student processions, one launched in al-Shehr district, and the other was in Shuheir district, after the end of the school day.

Reportedly, the students in al-Shehr blocked main streets in the city in order to hinder the movement of the security vehicles.

Sources in Shuheir said that soldiers of the Central Yemeni Security used live ammunition against the students who retaliated by stoning them.

Note:

• 1^st photograph of people protesting in Radfan December 2, 2010.

• 2^nd photograph of people demonstrating in Lawder December 2, 2010.

• Source: http://bit.ly/fiIJxG