SANAA, 23 July 2005 — Shopkeepers closed their premises for fear of looting after angry Yemenis took to the streets of the southern port city of Aden yesterday, following two days of riots across the country in protest over fuel price hikes.
Witnesses said one person was wounded and a number arrested during the disturbances yesterday evening in the city’s main commercial district and the poor suburb of Sheikh Osman.
Meanwhile, calm returned to major cities after two days of bloody clashes between police and protesters upset over sharp fuel price hike.
More tanks were deployed around state institutions and on main streets in Sanaa, and armored personnel carriers patrolled some areas of the capital city.
Policemen in full riot gear took up positions near Western embassies and houses of top state officials as thousands of police and army troops were sent to other violence-hit cities.
Riots broke out in six provinces on Wednesday after the government raised prices of oil derivatives by up to 260 percent as part of a restructuring program agreed with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1995.
The Cabinet decided to raise the price of petrol by 90 percent to 1,300 riyals ($6.75) per gallon and diesel by 260 percent to 900 riyals a gallon.
