Demonstrations and unrest continue in Yemen and Bahrain, the latest among Middle Eastern countries seeing street protests to demand sweeping government reforms. Leaders of several countries in the region have offered various political concessions in attempts to quell ongoing protests or avoid future demonstrations. Most offers, however, have failed to prevent people from flocking to the streets, The Washington Post says.
In some countries, including Bahrain and Libya, security forces and armed mobs have been dispatched to break down the demonstrations, resulting in the injury and death of hundreds of protesters. The violent retaliation of government leaders and the losses among their ranks, however, have only fueled the movements further.
“We will not stop protesting until the corrupt regime changes,” The Washington Post quotes a union leader in the Yemeni seaport city of Aden.