HAMTRAMCK — Veterans Memorial Park on Jos Campau  in downtown Hamtramck was transformed
Sunday, March 20 when dozens of Yemeni flags were waved as hundreds of Yemeni
Americans gathered in a protest against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Hamtramck, Michigan is home to the largest Yemeni population
in America, and the organizers felt that by holding the protest in their
American community it would encourage others to support their brothers and
sister overseas, and send the message to the United States government to stop
supporting President Saleh.

“This is the first time that Hamtramck organized
something for Yemen,” said Adel Mozip, a member of the Popular Support
Committee for Youth Revolution in Yemen. 
“Dearborn has been doing it for some time. For the first time the
Hamtramck Yemeni community  and
Arab American community did this and it was a great turn out.”

The protest featured banners in both English and Arabic with
the words “We demand justice, we demand peace”; “It takes a
revolution to make a solution”; and “Stop killing Yemenis.” The
signs also featured pictures of the violence currently taking place in Yemen,
including images of wounded protesters.

A moment of silence was held for those who passed in the
protests in Yemen.

“We cannot stand (by idly), we are asking everyone to
have the people in Yemen in their prayers and ask God to sustain them,”
said organizer Tawfiq Al-Fakih to the crowd. “We stand in solidarity with
two million Yemenis. We stand with them in asking for Saleh’s removal. Across the
cities in Yemen, youth are protesting. Although their demands have been
peaceful, they were met with violence.”

The crowd replied with a resounding, “The people want
the regime to collapse,” in Arabic.

“We chose this location because this place is for
remembrance of those who died for this country, and it will inspire us to do
the same for the Yemeni people,” said organizer Mohamed AlSanai. “The
people gave their lives for this country and we should do the same.”

The crowd had protesters of all ages, including some young
school age children who came with their parents to protest the violence.

“All of these bad things, they are happening to Yemenis
over there,” said a 12 year old protester who came with his neighbor,
Hussein Alzailaei, who only recently arrived in America.  Alzailaei has a degree from a
university in Iraq and taught computer science to students at a University in
Yemen, but was barely able to afford to live.

“I am protesting because the regime takes freedom from
the people,” Alzailaei said through a translator. “That  is why I am here. It was a difficult
life. It was difficult to get food, health insurance, anything. I was an
assistant professor in a college, and I was paid $150 a month. I took meat only
once a month.  My money was for the
essential things.”

Nigeeb Obaid could sympathize with Alzailaei’s situation.

“I was a dentist and I only made $500 a month, more
than most. Now I work at the University of Detroit, and I make more than that
in a week,” Obaid said.

“Their situations happen to everyone,” said the
young protester. “That is almost everyone’s life.”

Awad Ali also came out to support the rally.

“I wrote a letter to President Obama telling him that
President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a smaller Saddam (Hussein),” Ali said.
“We need President Obama to stand with the people of Yemen. The people of
America fight against terrorism, but (Saleh) is creating the terrorism in
Yemen.”

The national anthem of Yemen was played as the protesters
continued to chant for an end to the regime.

“We’re standing with millions of people in the streets. Those
protests are very peaceful. Not one bullet has been shot by a protester, always
by the government or its supporters. It’s 
a peaceful demonstration that is asking for basic human rights in
Yemen,” said Mozip. “We are showing the American people and
government, as well, that they need to stand by the aspirations of the Yemeni
people and not the Yemeni government.”