More than 20,000 people gathered in Yemen's capital Sanaa to demand that president Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after more than 30 years in power.

Sanaa, 3 Feb. (AKI) - More than 20,000 people gathered in Yemen's capital Sanaa to demand that president Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after more than 30 years in power.

In the "day of rage," protesters said they were not satisfied with Saleh's offer to retire in 2013.

The anti-government rally was comes after similar protests in Tunisia caused president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country, while Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's government is under siege by hundreds-of-thousands of protesters who have hit the streets in an effort to end his three-decade rule.

In Yemen, Saleh supporters are due to hold counter demonstrations.

In an emergency parliament session on Wednesday, Saleh laid out his plans to step down, saying he would not seek to extend his presidency when his current term expires in 2013 and promised not pass on power to his son.