Sana'a: Thousands of anti-regime protesters in Yemen's second largest city of Taez yesterday embarked on a five-day walk to the capital to underscore their demand that outgoing president Ali Abdullah Saleh stand trial for killing protesters.
"At least 15,000 protesters have signed up for the protests. Our message is to express our dismay over the international community's stand, who dealt with our cause as a political crisis between the ruling party and the opposition, not as a revolution," a protester told Gulf News on telephone.
"We want to emphasise that [there shall be] no immunity for killers or those who looted the country. Women acted on their initiative and joined in."
The protesters are expected to arrive in Sana'a's Change Square, the epicentre of anti-regime protests, by Saturday.
Soldier gunned down
Also in Taez, unknown gunmen yesterday shot dead a soldier and injured two civilians in one of the city's streets, a local journalist said. The soldier was said to be from a breakaway unit that switched loyalties to support anti-regime forces.
Supporters of Saleh retorted by saying they had arranged a march from Sana'a to Taez in support of "the constitutional legitimacy", a reference to the reign of Saleh "Thousands of protesters left the capital on foot today heading to Taez city, backing the constitutional legitimacy and President Ali Abdullah Saleh," the Ministry of Defence's website reported yesterday.
