Uprising

Yemen Protests in the Hundreds of Thousands

As President Saleh negotiates to step down.

Rival rallies are marching in Yemen, as President Ali Abdullah Saleh tells supporters that he's read to hand over power, but only to “safe hands.” The crowd is estimated in the tens of thousands, and according to one AFP report, hundreds of thousands. Soldiers fired into the air to hold back Saleh loyalists when they tried to march on the anti-Saleh rally. Saleh, president for more than three decades, told his supporters, "We don't want power but we need to hand power over to safe hands, not to sick, resentful or corrupt hands," he said. But he also urged his supporters to “stand firm” and promised to "remain steadfast and challenge them with all power we have." Negotiations over Saleh's exit seem to have run aground, as Saleh insists on immunity from prosecution for him and his family, as well as an interim government made up of his allies, including the current vice president or prime minister.