Houthi leader calls on supporters to continue pressuring Yemeni government

Breaking news reports on Tuesday said that Yemeni police fired on Houthi demonstrators in the capital city of Sanaa as they were attempting to storm the government’s headquarters. Several deaths were reported at the scene but the exact number was unconfirmed, with Houthi sources telling Al-Jazeera news that at least five activists were killed.

Anadolu news agency reported earlier that the leader of the Shia Houthi insurgent group, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi had called upon his supporters to stage a demonstration on Tuesday at Taghyeer Square in Sanaa, to press the Yemeni government to agree to their demands, threatening “strategic and major steps” in the event of its failure to respond positively.

Al-Houthi’s remarks were reportedly aired by Al-Maseera channel less than an hour after the Yemeni president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, held a meeting with Yemen’s Supreme Security Committee, during which he declared that “the Houthi group may not and cannot continue their escalation” in and around the capital.

Al-Houthi renewed his movement’s commitment to their demands, which include: overthrowing the government, annulling a decision to raise fuel prices and implementing the outcomes of the national dialogue. He added that if these demands were rejected, the movement would take escalatory steps in consultation and coordination with other forces, which he did not name, and would spread outside the capital Sanaa to include other cities.

The Houthi leader also commented on the negotiations with the government to reach a satisfactory solution to resolving the current crisis, saying they have not yielded any result until today. He called on the Yemeni president to respond to their demands.

For the first time, Al-Houthi attacked Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar of the Hashid tribe, which had fought clashes against Houthis in the Amran governorate a few months ago, as well as General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, a presidential advisor for defence and security affairs, accusing them both of inciting the president against their demands.

In addition, he repeated his attack against the Islah party for refusing to respond to the people’s demands, while praising the positions of other parties. He warned against any attacks against his supporters in the coming days, stressing that his group will not accept any attack and will defend itself, saying “today the equation has changed and we will not waste the victims’ sacrifice,” adding that he would sacrifice his life “if necessary for his people”.