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Written By: Mohammed al-Kibsi
Article Date: May 9, 2011 - 9:44:26 AM
A security source has claimed that a group of teachers on strike who are members of the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) besieged the educational office in Taiz, closed up its gates and prevented employees from entering or leaving the building.
He said that they had also prevented food or water from the building from 8am until 4pm on Sunday.
The source also said that the teachers had cut off Jamal Street, considered the main artery of the town, with stones, cars and debris. This had caused the complete paralysis of traffic and created chaos.
Shop owners had also been threatened to close their shops or face violent retaliation. The source said that Taiz security forces were compelled to intervene at 4pm to end the siege on the educational office, free trapped employees and open Jamal street.
The mob resisted these security attempts and threatened citizens who were helping to remove the debris.
They stoned them and used firearms, killing two of the shop owners and wounding seven security officers in addition to other citizens. “The security forces will not tolerate such illegal chaotic actions,” the source said, warning the JMP’s elements from resorting to violence and chaos to disrupt the citizen’s interests.
The source called on all to comply with legal regulations when organizing protests and marches to ensure that these remain peaceful and did not disturb public tranquility or cause a slide toward chaos and violence.
For their parts, protesters told news agencies that the police and militants killed at least three of them and wounded over 50.