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Yemeni Paper Reports Eight Deaths Confirmed in Protesters, Police Clashes

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

Text of report in English by Yemeni newspaper Yemen Observer website on 20 July

Sanaa: Eight deaths have, as of Wednesday [20 July] mid- afternoon, been confirmed following violent confrontations between police and protesters against the rise in fuel prices.

Wednesday morning saw the streets of the capital thronged with protesters to voice their discontent at price increases in petroleum and gas. Heavy rains eventually dampened protestors' enthusiasm, but not before they managed to paralyse the streets of the capital.

Military vehicles and armed soldiers lined the streets and fired warning shots and tear gas to disperse the protestors. One protester was, according to witnesses, killed after having been shot accidentally in the stomach.

A member of the army, however, claimed that they didn't fire at the protester: "One of his friends was carrying a grenade, and it was this that killed him. We had no involvement in his death. I heard a short while ago that he died from the resultant injuries."

Soldiers entered a building in search of a journalist who had been on the roof taking photographs of the scenes below, but they did not find him. "The taking of photographs is not allowed," declared one solider.

Fear reigned over most of the city. Women, crying and screaming, ran from the shooting. All commercial outlets, Internet cafes and private offices closed.

Protests became violent and brought the city to a standstill. Cars, advertising hoardings, shop windows and vehicles became the targets of protestors' ire, leaving some streets in complete disarray.

Once the rains had managed to break up the crowds, Sanaa became a ghost town, with broken windows and vehicles scattered along the streets.

"This is our only option to make our feelings known and exercise our rights. What else can we do to make government listen?" said one of the protestors.

The price of petroleum for has risen by around 90 per cent, while the price of gas has gone up to 400 Yemeni riyals a cylinder, an increase of almost 80 per cent.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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