Thaindian News

Sana’a, March 9 (IANS) One person was killed and about 100 people were injured here when security forces opened fire at protesters demanding an end to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule, media reports said Wednesday.

Government forces Tuesday stormed Sana’a University, the epicentre of the demonstrations, to disperse students camped out on the campus, Iran’s Press TV reported.

One man died in the clashes, it said.

The security forces were “clearly given orders to disperse the crowd”, Al Jazeera said.

The shooting comes few weeks after Saleh pledged to protect peaceful protesters.

On Monday, Saleh called for a national dialogue conference, but the opposition rejected the proposal.

Yemen has been rocked by protests inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. At least 27 people have been killed in clashes across the country between government loyalists and protesters.

A media report Wednesday said that around 10,000 protesters marched in the city of Dhamar, 60 km south of Sana’a.

“Leave! leave!” the protesters shouted in Dhamar. Protesters also pelted a municipal official with stones.

Increasing protests fuelled by anger over poverty and corruption have added pressure on the president to quit even as he vowed to stay on until his term ends in 2013.

Anti-government protesters are angry at widespread corruption in a country where 40 percent people live on $2 a day or less and where university graduates struggle to get jobs.