Demonstrations in Crater, Sheikh Osman and Abian Governorate [Archives:2005/862/Reportage]
By Rudwan Al-Sagaf
Muneer Mohamed Saeed
Yemen Times Staff
Aden- Abian- On Thursday 21st July, a reign of demonstrations spread all over Aden. It was calm untill seven in the evening, when a large crowd came to Al- Noor mosque street in Sheikh Osman. They started demonstrating and destroying market places in Al-Hashimi area, where there are jeweler shops. One of the jewelry shops was looted. The security forces came and dispersed the demonstrators by shooting in the air and throwing teargas. The Sheikh Osman area was surrounded and isolated, and security forces spread all over the coastal area, and group gatherings were banned. People refused to go back to their homes and gathered in front of their houses. This led to clashes with the security forces, and a number of demonstrators were injured.
Demonstrators burned a number of petrol stations and cooking gas sales centers. There was a wave of panic especially among the women and children who usually go shopping on Thursdays, who were left stranded because there was no transport available. The heavy presence of security forces reminded them of events in 1986, although their motivation this time for deployment was very different this time.
Two people were killed in these demonstrations in Aden according to medics. Eye witnesses said that the demonstrations started with a crowd of hawkers in font of Al-Noor mosque in Sheikh Osman, and number of shops were looted, and 85 of the demonstrators were arrested under suspicion of looting. They were taken to the air base (formerly the rocket base) on Lahg road.
In Al-Mansora thousands of demonstrators headed to the petrol station. They destroyed the windows and the doors. Some tried to remove the petrol pumps.
Other demonstrators burnt the tires inside the stations, and heavy smoke covered the area. The security forces rushed to the area of chaos in their armored vehicles, and fired some bullets in the air, and the demonstrators moved on to Al- Noor mosque. The demonstrations shifted to the streets of Sheikh Osman, Cairo street, Abdulgawi roundabout and the spinning factory. The security forces followed them and Fired bullets and Tear gas to disperse them.
After the evening prayers of Friday the 22nd the there were demonstrations and looting in each of Sheikh Osman and Crater. There were clashes with the security forces, in Souk Altweel, Crater Square and near the Aden international center. Firing was heard and ambulances were seen rushing the injured to the hospital.
Meanwhile the demonstrators destroyed the advertisment signs and blocked the streets. The Alkorimi exchange branch was also looted. A 21 ayear old young man called Faheem Hamuod was shot near Al-Bahrain Hotel. He was shot in the head and hurried to hospital. After bleeding for two hours, he died.
Father of three, Saed Ubadi was also hit, and remains in Almansoora hospital, along with other casualties.
Tanks and Military vehicles surround main streets in Abian
The cities of Zebjibar, Ja'ar, Alkoodand Al-Hisn ib Abian witness growing tension. The market places are closed down and the streets are empty. Military vehicles and tanks surround the main entrances to these towns. There were rumors that there would be demonstrations after the Friday prayers, so the military vehicles and tanks moved onto the streets in the early morning.
A large number of people started the demonstrations and stormed the formal government offices. They burnt down the cars of the electricity establishment and also burnt a military vehicle, and a number of market places. Some journalists were detained as they were covering the demonstrations and their cameras were confiscated.
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