On Thursday, Egyptians continued pressure on the government as support for anti-government policy continues and citizens take to the street. In Yemen, citizens followed their Egyptian friends in taking to the streets in anger at the government, demanding that the government – in power for over 30-years relinquish power. Like Tunisia earlier this month and Egypt this week, Yemenis are hoping that grassroots anti-government protests can help spur a change in government. In Tunisia, the president of 23-years was forced to leave office and fled the country. Yemenis were not prepared anymore to put up with widespread poverty while “corruption is everywhere”, Hakim Almasmari, the Editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post told the BBC World Service. “They are saying: ‘Enough is enough, we want justice, and those who are corrupt should be taken to court'.” President Ali Abdullah Saleh now joins Egypt's Hosni Mubarak on the edge of chaos. The question now for the region is what these aging dictators will do. Will they relinquish their power, or will they use the heavy hand of government to put down, even more violently, the protesters who have taken to the streets. As Thursday comes to an end in Yemen, thousands of citizens continue to demonstration in the capital, Sana'a. They are hoping to make change happen. Almasmari said the opposition had decided to initiate protests against the president because “they felt that all chances of a dialogue with the ruling party are vanishing.” BM
