STC ignites Aden streets with popular protests against Saudi Arabia

ADEN, July 12 (YPA) – Massive popular rallies organized by the UAE-backed “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) were held Sunday afternoon across the city of Aden and its various districts, denouncing what demonstrators termed as “Saudi trusteeship.”

The protests coincided with similar demonstrations in the provinces of Abyan, Dhalea, Shabwa, and the city of Mukalla in Hadramout. Foot marches commenced in the districts of Crater (Sirah), Sheikh Othman, Khormaksar, Al-Buraiqeh, Al-Mualla, Al-Mansoura, and Dar Sad, amid a heavy military deployment of Saudi-backed factions.

Participants raised portraits of STC President Aidarous al-Zubaidi and chanted political slogans rejecting Saudi measures to impose a fait accompli by force of arms since early January. Protesters also demanded an end to the house arrest imposed on the council’s delegation in Riyadh and called for their return to Aden.

On the services front, demonstrators demanded improvements to basic services, foremost among them the electricity sector, alongside addressing the severe economic collapse and deteriorating living conditions. Conversely, Saudi-aligned forces removed portraits of al-Zubaidi and STC slogans from main streets, amid public demands for the withdrawal of “Saudi forces” from the city.

These developments reflect the growing popular tension regarding Saudi policies and measures, which protesters claim aim to reinstate local factions accused of plundering resources and committing violations against the residents of those regions over the past decades.

YPA