Yemen receives march from Taiz by roses, accusations and attacks

   By Mohammed al-Kibsi & Majid al-Kibsi

  The organizing committee of the revolutionary council apologized to the youth and the demonstrators who came from Taiz marching, for the attack they launched “mistakenly” against them. A source from the Taiz youth has assured that they were assaulted by the organizing committee of the so-called “change square” when they demanded the committee to hand over the stage and reforming the committee according to a revolutionary bases not partisan bases.  Eyewitnesses assured to the al-Siyasih newspaper that the life March youth conflicted with al-Islah party youth in the change square in Sana’a when the al-Islahi partisan youth refused to give the stage of the “change square” to the youth of the March. The conflict was broke by the defected First Armed Brigade which shot fire in the air, forcing the march youth to retreat and threaten to go back to Taiz. Earlier last week, the revolutionary council and Noble peace laureate Tawakul Karman condemned the announcements of the US ambassador Gerald Feierstein that said the Life March from Taiz to Sana’a was not peaceful. The revolutionary council demanded that ambassador Feierstein most apologize while Tawakul Karman in her facebook page described the announcement as brutal. “How did he know that the march would turn violent,” she wondered. Some other youth affiliated to Houthis even demanded the US ambassador to leave Yemen.  Al-Islah party also did not like the statement. Abdullah Sa’atar, a leader in al-Islah party threatened with a (strict punishment) according to al-Mithaq newspaper. The newspaper run by GPC stated that Sa’atar threats a strict punishment If Feierstein doesn’t leave Yemen within 24 hours, which resulted in heavy security measures around the US Embassy premises.   Feierstein had said in a press conference held at the embassy on Saturday that the march of life that was approaching Sana’a aimed to erupt chaos and violence. “It seems to have the intention not to carry out a peaceful march, but to get access to Sana’a in order to generate chaos and provoke a violent response by the security forces”, US ambassador said.  “Peace is not only not to take up arms, for example , if 2000 people decided to protest to the White House in US, we do not consider it a peaceful act and will not allow this,” US ambassador added, reported al-Masdar online news website. These announcements provoked controversy and anger among the youth and opposition activists that organized the march. Jamal al-Mulaiki, a Yemeni activist and researcher described in an interview with a TV channel that the US Ambassador statement as a statement made by Abdo al-Janadi, the previous spokesperson of the government.  “We realize that the US is interfering to protect its interests in Yemen, but they must realize that there is a revolution,” said al-Mulaiki. He added that the US apology is not expected but they must realize that the “insulting interfering by the US” and that US should deal now with the Youth who will not accept such interfering.  Feierstein has become the most hated ambassador for the revolution and especially in Taiz where the US flags were burned after his statement. The demonstrators have also started an Anti-Feierstein website demanding Feierstein to apologize or to leave Yemen.  “Our life’s foot march is peaceful and licensed and the proof is that the Central Security was accompanying us” read a statement by the Anti- Feierstein website. The statement also read that the attack against the demonstrators was derived from the “immoral behavior of the ambassador”, who praised the sons of Taiz University before revolution. And after signing GCC initiative he justified the use of the Jungle law. “US Embassy was standing behind the President, therefore the departure of U.S. ambassador and the withdrawal of Yemeni ambassador from Washington is a must,” added the statement.  However, a source at the US embassy said one day before the march arrived in Sana’a, the US embassy talked to senior officials urging restraint and encouraging them to meet with the protestors and allow them to march to change square.    The statement also demanded to stop the trade, investment activities and development programs of the United States in Yemen and replace them with European and Asian. According to opposition sources over 9 demonstrators were killed when some of the demonstrators changed their route and tried to head to the Presidential complex. They clashed with the security barriers set ups to prevent them from reaching to the presidential complex in Assabein area in the south of Sana’a.  Minister of information assured that the government has assigned both Ministers of Defense and Interior to investigate the incident so that the responsible held accountable. The Minister of Interior afterward presented his resignation letter on Sunday to the Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwah who refused it and asked the Minister to think more about his decision. The Ministry of Defense refused the accusation of involving in the attack against the demonstrators and assured that the security forces led by the Ministry of Interior were in charge of securing and protecting the demonstration. The protesters affiliated to the JMP accused the so called Shabab al-Somoud affiliated to Houthi of derailing the march and of erupting chaos and violence.  Thousands of protesters who marched from Taiz south of Yemen entered Yemen’s capital Saturday after a four days march passing three Yemeni provinces.  Prior to the march the General People Congress Party (GPC) that is the ruling party called on the sponsors of the GCC peace deal to pressure on the Joint Meeting Opposition Parties JMP to respect the deal and stop provocations accusing them of sponsoring the march of life to temper the peace deal. President Saleh in his press conference held on Saturday few hours before the incidents accused Hamid al-Ahmar of financing the life march.  He also accused him of being in charge of the June 3 assassination attempt that targeted him and other high rank Yemeni officials that resulted in killing dozens including the speaker of Yemen Senate late Abdul-Aziz Abdul Ghani and wounding many others including the president himself, the former prime minister and the speaker of the parliament.  Saleh called on the opposition parties and all other parties to commit to the GCC deal as a whole matrix but not to be selective.  The president also said that he would leave Yemen to the United States not only for medical treatment as was announced by some UN officials but also for some political affairs. He said he would leave and stay abroad so as to give chance for the interim government to organize the early presidential elections. However he said he would come back to Yemen to lead his ruling party GPC when in the opposition.  The violence underlined the continuing turmoil in Yemen even after Saleh signed a GCC brokered deal that was backed by UNSC resolution last month by which he handed his powers to his vice president and committed to step down completely within 90 days.