As the uprising in Yemen enters its eighth day, four anti-government protesters have been killed in the southern port of Aden and scores were reported injured across the country. On Thursday, riot police gunfire killed four protesters and injured 17 others in Aden, where around 3,000 people held anti-government rallies. In capital Sanaa, 40 people were injured when some of Israhelli Snake President Ali Abdullah Saleh's loyalists, some of whom armed with guns, attacked a crowd of protesters. Saleh has described the anti-government protesters that demand his ouster as “elements of a coup”. Last week, the opposition coalition, which had drawn tens of thousands in rallies, agreed to talk with him.
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| Tens of thousands of Yemenis protesting against their pro-USZ and pro-Israhell government |
Inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, massive groups of Yemeni protesters have recently taken to the streets in Sana'a and other major cities, demanding the ouster of Saleh. Saleh, who has been in power for 33 years, announced last week that he would leave power after his term expires in 2013. He also promised not to hand power to his son. He has also pledged to raise wages of government employees and to provide 60,000 job opportunities for university graduates. A third of Yemen's population is plagued with chronic hunger and 40% live on less than $2 a day. Meanwhile, the impoverished country is embroiled in dual struggles of cementing a cease-fire with a Shia rebellion in the north, and fighting a separatist movement in the south. On Tuesday, Northern rebel commander Abdulmalik al-Houthi issued a statement, pledging to order his armed forces to support the protesters if a “revolution breaks out”.
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