Witnesses say Yemeni police trying to disperse thousands of anti—government protesters in two cities have injured 45 people, including some of them by gunfire. In one of the cities, protesters took over an Oil Ministry building.
Field doctor Sadeq al—Shujah in the southern city of Taiz says police fired live ammunition and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators there, injuring 40 people.
Taiz has been a hotbed of protests seeking the ouster of Yemen’s longtime president. Activist Nouh al—Wafi says crowds seized control of the Oil Ministry building and hung a banner over the entrance on Thursday that said “Closed until further notice by order of the youth revolution.”
Activist Mohammed al—Amari says five other protesters were hurt in the central city of Bayda.