Yemen, May 07: Yemeni forces have killed at least one student for taking part in a campaign that urges students against taking exams until President Ali Abdullah Saleh resigns.
On Saturday, police and armed government mercenaries attacked the protesters in the Al-Maafir district in the southern province of Taizz, where tens of thousands of students were staging a protest, Xinhua reported.
The victim was identified as 13-year-old Mohamed Al-Salwai. At least 13 other students were injured.
The attackers who were hiding in a local council office opened fire on the protesters after the students besieged the building.
Hundreds of thousands of people have turned out for regular demonstrations in Yemen’s major cities since late January, calling for an end to corruption and unemployment and demanding the ouster of the president.
Saleh has been in office for nearly 33 years with several opposition members arguing that he has failed to realize his long-promised reforms.
Some 40 percent of Yemenis live on USD 2 a day or less and one third is wrestling with chronic hunger.
The popular protests have been confronted by riot police and supporters of Saleh armed with knives and batons.
The death toll in the country since the launch of the revolution has surpassed 300.
Also on Saturday, Yemen’s main opposition group urged the regional Arab grouping of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council to withdraw its initiative aimed at ending the crisis in the Gulf of Aden nation.
The Popular Youth Revolution coalition said the plan allows Saleh to resign as the head of the ruling party not as the head of state. The proposal also grants Saleh immunity, if he leaves office 30 days after signing the deal with the opposition.
The protesters, however, want the ruler prosecuted for crimes against humanity for committing the bloodshed.
—–Agencies