CASPER
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Vast crowds of Yemenis took to the streets on Friday to demand the immediate departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, instead of the phased handover of power envisaged by a Gulf-mediated agreement.
Some 100,000 people flooded a five-km (three-mile) stretch of Sanaa's main Siteen Street to mark a "Friday of Loyalty to the Martyrs" -- at least 142 protesters have been killed during three months of anti-Saleh unrest across Yemen.
"We will continue our revolution forcefully and we will not back down even if we have to offer a million martyrs," a cleric shouted to crowds, as they released balloons inscribed "Leave!."
Equally large pro-Saleh crowds also gathered in the capital to mark a "Friday of Constitutional Legitimacy." Waving flags, the demonstrators held pictures of the president and banners reading: "Be firm and don't back down, we are with you."
Saleh, facing the gravest challenge to his 32-year-old rule, addressed the rally himself. "These crowds of our people have said their word: yes, yes to the legitimacy of the constitution, no to coups, no to chaos," the 69-year-old leader said.
Some 100,000 people flooded a five-km (three-mile) stretch of Sanaa's main Siteen Street to mark a "Friday of Loyalty to the Martyrs" -- at least 142 protesters have been killed during three months of anti-Saleh unrest across Yemen.
"We will continue our revolution forcefully and we will not back down even if we have to offer a million martyrs," a cleric shouted to crowds, as they released balloons inscribed "Leave!."
Equally large pro-Saleh crowds also gathered in the capital to mark a "Friday of Constitutional Legitimacy." Waving flags, the demonstrators held pictures of the president and banners reading: "Be firm and don't back down, we are with you."
Saleh, facing the gravest challenge to his 32-year-old rule, addressed the rally himself. "These crowds of our people have said their word: yes, yes to the legitimacy of the constitution, no to coups, no to chaos," the 69-year-old leader said.
