The echoes of the cries of joy could be heard throughout the Yemeni capital on Sunday morning. As news of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s departure for what was termed as “medical treatment” in Saudi Arabia finally made its way to the stage at Sana’a’s Change Square, thousands of protesters roared with complete jubilation. “The people have brought down the regime,” they chanted in unison, slaughtering cows to feast on and spraying confetti into the thin mountain air of Sana’a.
For more than four months, the anti-regime demonstrators who occupied Change Square have weathered tear gas, high pressure water cannons, police batons, tasers and, in some cases, bullets flying from the barrels of AK-47’s or a mounted heavy machine gun. As the longest running protest movement in the Arab Spring, Yemenis were incredibly relieved to have finally had a breakthrough after enduring so much violence. No matter that what ultimately forced Saleh out of the country was an attack on his presidential compound, those who have called the square home were just happy that Saleh caved to their demands to “get out”.
