Yemeni protesters want Saleh to go

SANAA, Yemen, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Protesters in Yemen took a cue from the resignation of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, saying Monday it was time for their president to step down.

Mubarak stepped down Friday, ending a presidential tenure that began in 1981 when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was gunned down during a military parade.

Demonstrators in Yemen called on Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in control since 1978, to resign his position immediately, the BBC reports.

"After Mubarak, Ali," chanted Yemeni demonstrators.

Yemeni protesters clashed with security forces at the main square in Sanaa demanding Saleh quit after 32 years in power. BBC reporters said they were attacked by Yemeni police and thousands of anti-government protesters were rounded up after nearly a week of political violence.

Human Rights Watch urged the Yemeni government to respect the right to free assembly in the country.

Saleh said he was in talks with opposition leaders to discuss political reforms. He promised he wouldn't run again in national elections in 2013, noting there would be no hereditary rule in Yemen.

Governments across the Middle East, North African and Central Asia are facing mounting political unrest in the wake of demonstrations that ended regimes in Egypt and Tunisia.