Pressure on Saleh grows across Yemen

Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis packed a square in the capital and marched in villages and cities yesterday, in what appeared to be the largest demonstrations in more than a month demanding ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh, below, steps down.

Youth leaders said they planned a march to the heavily guarded presidential palace.

Many mosques in the capital shut - a move unprecedented for Friday, the Muslim day of prayer - as worshippers and clerics streamed to the square outside Sanaa University.

Protesters filled the plaza and spilled out along three adjoining streets. Previous demonstrations have taken up the square and at most two of the streets that feed into it.

The demonstrators set up tents and hung posters of people killed in past protests.

In a parallel demonstration, tens of thousands of government supporters rallied at al-Sabaeen Square outside the presidential palace, where Mr Saleh made a brief speech, telling them, "With my blood and soul, I redeem you," a common chant in the Arab world. He has ruled Yemen for 32 years and said chaos would follow his departure. There were anti-Saleh protests in at least 14 other provinces. The Sanaa crowd was supported by soldiers who set up checkpoints to prevent intrusions by Saleh loyalists. Protesters raised black cards and chanted "Ali Leave!"