Yemeni government snipers firing from rooftops and houses shot into a crowd of tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators on Friday, killing at least 40 people and injuring hundreds demanding the ouster of the autocratic president. The protest in the central square was the largest yet in the popular uprising that began a month ago - and the harsh government response marked a new level of brutality from the security forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key - if uneasy - ally in the US campaign against al-Qaeda who has ruled Yemen for 30 years.
Saleh declared a nationwide state of emergency hours after the shootings in the capital, formally giving the security forces a freer hand to confront the demonstrators. There was no word on how long the emergency laws would remain in place.