Thousands of Yemenis protest year-long coalition campaign

Thousands of Yemenis rallied in the rebel-held capital on Saturday, to denounce the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that launched a military campaign against the Houthi rebels a year ago.

"We came to here to express our rejection of the (Saudi) aggression. And we are here to honour the sons of the nation," said Nasser Mahdi, pro-Saleh protester.

Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is allied with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and whose party had called for the protest, appeared briefly at the rally. He reiterated his call for direct talks with Riyadh. The rebel-run Saba news agency said Saleh also urged the UN security Council to issue a resolution imposing an arms embargo on the Saudis. The Houthis also organised a protest in north Sanaa, where thousands of demonstrators chanted anti-Saudi Arabia and anti-US slogans.