SANAA, Yemen, July 22 (UPI) -- At least 50 people have been killed in Yemen in two days of riots over rising oil prices, as opposition parties suspended talks with the government in protest.
According to unofficial counts released Friday, hundreds of people have been injured in clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against skyrocketing fuel prices.
Opposition parties issued a joint statement Thursday denouncing the ransacking of public properties as well as excessive police brutality in cracking down on the protests.
The opposition said it would suspend dialogue with the government until the latter reviewed its economic policies and "unjust measures" that have raised the prices of oil derivatives by more than 100 percent in some instances.
The opposition also urged the government to conduct an immediate investigation into the reasons why the demonstrations turned violent.
Parliament Speaker Abdullah Ahmar urged the population to exercise restraint and "avoid any actions that harm the public interest and tarnish the reputation of the Yemeni people."
The government stressed that it would not reconsider its decision to lift subsidies on oil derivatives.
