Yemen's anti-government rallies continue amid violence

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Yemen's anti-government rallies continue amid violence

The Associated Press Published Sunday, February 20, 2011 7:27AM EST Last Updated Saturday, May 19, 2012 3:59AM EDT

Text:

SANAA, Yemen - Some 3,000 students are protesting at Sanaa University in the Yemeni capital, calling for the country's long serving U.S.-backed president to step down.

Sunday's demonstration marks the 11th straight day of anti-government protests in Yemen. On Saturday, riot police fired on marchers, killing one and injuring five. Seven have been killed since the unrest began.

The protesters seek to oust longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida, and have been inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Marching students chanted and carried signs reading "Get out Ali for the sake of future generations."

Riot police watched the march but have not yet intervened. Past protests were often attacked by government supporters, degenerating into riots.

RELATED IMAGES

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Yemeni policemen block the way of government supporters raising posters showing President Ali Abdullah Saleh as they face anti-government demonstrators, not pictured, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. (AP / Muhammed Muheisen)
A Yemeni boy joining anti-government demonstrators shouts slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. (AP / Muhammed Muheisen)
Yemeni anti-government demonstrators raise their shoes as an act of disrespect during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011. (AP / Muhammed Muheisen)