People to protest in Sanaa over unpaid salaries

Human rights advocates and law activists are amid intensive preparations to organize a massive demonstration in Sanaa on Sunday to urge Houthi rebels to hand over the overdue salaries for more than two months.

The activists called Sanaa residents through social networking platforms to go out next Sunday and invade the streets in a massive demonstration.

Activists launched many hashtags about their salaries and the demonstrations on Sunday.

They said that these salaries are the sole income of more than one million governmental employees who have been facing very difficult economic situation three months now.

The first protest of this kind took place in October in Sanaa. It was the first ever since the Houthi invaded the city and revolted against the legitimate authority. However, the demonstration that was scheduled on November 9th under the slogan “I am going to the streets” was exploited by the Houthis through the explosion that took place in the funeral hall in Sanaa.

On November 12th, Houthis suppressed another protest organized by pro-Saleh military men, asking to get their salaries; many participants in this protest were abducted.

On that same day (November 12), Houthis attacked academics from the University of Sanaa during a union meeting aimed at protesting to ask for the professors and staff’s salaries.

Regarding the preparations of Sunday’s protest, human rights activist Mohammed Salim told al-Arabiya: “I believe that Houthi’s position is weaker now, especially that popular discontent is growing and a new anti-Houthi current is emerging within the People’s Congress party, presided by ousted Saleh.”

*This article can also be viewed in Arabic on AlArabiya.net