SANAA —  Tens of thousands of Yemenis converged on the capital Sanaa on Monday in a demonstration organized by the Shi’a Houthi movement, demanding the government rescind a decision to curb fuel subsidies and calling on the administration to resign.

The three-hour demonstration was the latest move by the Houthis, whose fighters have repeatedly fought government forces since 2004.

They have been trying to tighten their grip on the north as the majority Sunni country moves toward a federal system that will devolve more power to regions.

The demonstrators in central Sanaa chanted slogans calling for the fall of Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa’s administration and waved posters accusing the government of corruption and describing the law to remove fuel subsidies as “a deadly dose for the people.”

Security forces did not try to stop the protesters.

Houthi tribal leader Abdul Malek al-Houthi called for the demonstration in a speech broadcast late on Sunday on his television station.

“We seriously warn against any aggression on our revolutionary Yemeni sons and we affirm that we will not be idle towards any crime committed against our people,” Houthi said.

Yemenis are unhappy about the government’s decision to raise fuel prices in late July to cut energy subsidies to ease the burden on its budget deficit. The government spent about $3 billion on subsidies last year, nearly a third of state revenue.

A previous attempt by the government to cut subsidies in 2005 led to unrest that left some 20 people dead and over 200 wounded. The reform was canceled.