Violent protests broke out in the city of Sanaa today, when the government supporters that have been attacking student demonstrators started throwing stones and, instead of fleeing, the students threw stones back at them.

The stone throwing sparked five hours of clashes and left dozens of protesters on both sides wounded. Gunfire was also reported as the Saleh regime attempted to chase the demonstrators off the streets.

Meanwhile, police shot and killed at least two people in a southern port city, marking the first deaths in the weeks of growing unrest so far. Southern Yemeni cities have seen not only anti-Saleh protests, but calls for secession.

Saleh initially met the protests with arrests, and as they grew he promised not to run for an additional term in office after 2013. This has not satisfied protesters, who note that Saleh ruled for some 22 years before his first elected term in office, and they do not believe the US backed dictator will willingly step down when the next elections are held.

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