Calls for Ali Abdullah Saleh to stand down grow louder as tens of thousands turn out for mass funeral

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

Yemen's president has fired his entire cabinet amid escalating protests demanding his resignation. The announcement by President Ali Abdullah Saleh came after tens of thousands of mournersflooded the streets of the Yemeni capitalon Sunday in a mass funeral for 52 protesters killed on Friday in a sniper attack by government loyalists.

The president's office issued a statement saying he was firing his cabinet, although Yemen's official news agency reported he had asked them to remain in place until a new one could be appointed.

The 150,000 turnout for the funeral at Sana'a University was by far the largest gathering seen in Yemen since protests against Saleh began in earnest over a month ago. Dozens of bodies were wrapped in Yemen's tricolour flag and hoisted onto shoulders of young men who paraded the bodies through the streets shouting, "There is no God but Allah" and "Ali Saleh the tyrant is the enemy of God."

A two-hour power cut prevented many in the capital from watching televised footage of the mile-long funeral procession, which carried the dead from the morgue of a local hospital back to the heart of the tent-filled square at Sana'a University where they were killed.

After praying for the dead, protesters tore down a barricade used to trap them in Friday's assault and replaced it with a memorial: a mound of flowers and photographs of those who died.

"The massacre has moved our revolution into its second phase," said 29-year-old medical student Mohammed Al-Iryani, whose 12-year-old brother, Fares, was killed in the violence.

Politicians and civil society representatives joined the throng. Ali Abed Rabbo al-Qadi, the head of the independent parliamentary bloc, who was in the crowd, said those behind the killings must be "held responsible for every drop of blood that has been shed".

Most of the injuries on Friday were caused by plainclothes gunmen who crouched on the roofs of nearby houses and sprayed bullets down on the crowd. On Saturday protesters said they had captured five snipers carrying government identity cards, but Saleh has denied this, blaming the violence on "unknown armed civilians".

A government spokesmen said late on Sunday night that 16 suspects had so far been arrested for orchestrating the shooting.

Saleh declared Sunday a national day of mourning for the "martyrs for democracy", while blaming the opposition for "incitement and chaos".

The bloodshed has prompted a string of defections from Yemen's government. In a move echoing the early days of Libya's uprising, Yemen's ambassador to the UN, Abdullah al-Saeed, quiton Sunday citing Friday's brutal crackdown.

His resignation followed those of four government ministers, including Huda al-Ban, one of only two female ministers. Her deputy, Ali Saleh Taisir, also resigned in reaction to what they termed as a "gross use of violence" again peaceful demonstrators.

Yemen's tribes, one of the few remaining bastions of the embattled Saleh's rule, appear also to be turning against him. Sadeq al-Ahmar, the leader of Yemen's most powerful tribal confederation, issued a statement on Sunday asking Saleh to respond to the people's demands and leave peacefully.

Troops and security forces moved into the capital on Saturday to enforce a state of emergency declared by Saleh.

Tanks were also deployed across the city for the first time in five weeks of civil unrest in which over 70 people have died. In addition, hundreds of soldiers moved into the streets to set up checkpoints and enforce a ban on carrying firearms in public.

The opposition says the president – a key US ally against al-Qaida in the region – must resign this year, but he has refused to leave until his term expires in 2013.

He has also offered to devolve power to parliament under a new constitution, a pledge rejected as "too little, too late" by the opposition, which says the president cannot be trusted to honour his promises.

"The chances of reaching a meaningful political solution are minute now," said opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabri.

Saleh has promised to protect the right to peaceful assembly, but as the death toll soars he seems unable or unwilling to honour his pledges.