Policemen Entitled to Fire at Demonstrators in Yemen [Archives:2000/17/Front Page]

A draft law authorizing police officers to open fire at any dubious gathering of more than 5 people was presented to the parliament last Saturday. The draft law, titled ”police authority draft law” comes within the government’s policy to limit demonstrations by giving police officers the authority to disperse demonstrators by any possible means.
This draft law coincides with a number of demonstrations staged in some eastern and southern governorates such as those in Al-Dhalea, Yafe’a, Al-Habilein and Hadhramout.
The first secretary of the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) in Hadhramout Hassan Ba’owm said that a peaceful demonstration would take place on April 27 to express condemnation of the oppressive measures against the demonstration in the city in 1998 which led to two deaths. “Nobody has the right to stop it even the government. It is a right that is guaranteed by the constitution. People must not keep silent if the draft is passed. They must reject it,” he added.

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