Day of Rage Burns 33 Southern Yemeni Districts with Protests

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

On Jan 18, 2011 Security force suppressed a student demonstration organized by a number of school boys in the city of Shahr in Hadrmout, to censure the arrest of their director who was arrested, on Monday for refusing to submit the names of students participating in demonstrations in of the Southern Movement.

Students chanted slogans of solidarity with the director of school and raised banners of solidarity with person wounded on Monday in a demonstration in the city, and others condemning the military actions carried out by the Yemeni army in the areas Radfan of the southern Yemeni province of Lahej in order to control it.

The protest was later suppressed by security forces, and turned to hit and run.

Reportedly, a person was seriously injured in his back, caused by random live ammunitions by the Yemeni security.

Al-Mukalla, center of Hadrmout province, also witnessed clashes between the security, while the commercial activity stopped in the neighborhoods of Mukalla, Dees, and Sharj.

In Shuheir town in the district of Ghail Bawazir (40 miles northeast of Mukalla) a joint march of women and youth was suppressed by security forces fired live bullets towards, injuring the activist Ali Bin Shuhna, a leader in the Peaceful Movement of Youth and Student. Sources in the Southern Movement said that the injurity is in his head, while he has been succored to hospital.

In the city of Ghail Bawazir, angry protesters burned the headquarters of the General People's Congress in the district.

In Shabwah, the Southern Movement organized 7 different demonstrations in the province, in Jardan, Haban, Musaina'a, Khura, Bihan, Nisab, and Azan.

A number of Southern Movement activists in Shabwah, declared collective resignations from the Yemeni Socialist Party, calling the rest of the activists to abandon the party memberships.

In the province of Abyan the Southern Movement staged a demonstration of anger in Shukra, in addition to a rally procession in Jaar, while the participants raised green flags and the former flags of South Yemen, and banners condemning the military siege on the Radfan and the killing of an elderly woman in Hadramout last Thursday.

People of Al Mahfed in Abyan launched a massive march raising banners condemning the events of Radfan and Hadramout, and the militarization of the southern cities.

Speakers expressed their unlimited solidarity with the people of Radfan against the military and supply siege which is implemented by the Yemeni army at the entrances to the city of Habilyn, the major city of Radfan districts, province of Lahej.

Al Wdie also witnessed a massive demonstration attended by several Southern Movement leaders.

Center of Lahej province, al Houta, witnessed acts of violence and clashes between protesters and the security, that used live ammunitions and tear gas to suppress the protesters who blocked the main roads with burning tires.

Tur-Albaha, Halimin, and Habilyn as well witnessed other angry demonstrations, in which the chanted against the central government demanding the restoration of the former state in southern Yemen.

A huge march was staged in Al Dhalie, attended by several Southern Movement leaders including Shalal Ali Shaie and others.

The demonstrations today come after a joint call by the two southern leaders, Ali Salem Al Beidh, and Hassan Ahmed Ba'oum, to stage "a day of rage." In southern Yemen to censure the military operations in Radfan.

Nightly protests were staged in Aden, the former capital of South Yemen, in the districts of Al Mansoora, Al Areesh, Khormaksar, Twahi, and Al Bureikh, some of them were quelled by security.

Hadrmout also witnessed nightly protests in several districts, including Shehr, Mukalla, Qutun, and Al Hami, some of them were also quelled as well as Aden's.

Source: http://bit.ly/heUKH6