Yemen has grabbed the world`s attention as the country’s political crisis appears to have been deepened with the Saudi-led military intervention. According to The Guardian and other news organizations, the U.S. is providing “logistical and intelligence support” to the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi forces in Yemen. In the absence of independent on-the-ground reporting by the major media outlets on the turmoil in Yemen, social media platforms are once again providing the much-needed platform for activists in the country to post images, express their views, and raise their concerns about the fate of their country.
Soon after the bombing began, Yemeni activist Hisham Al-Omeisy tweeted what has been echoed by other social media activists in Yemen:
We are all anti-Houthi but Hadi will forever be remembered as the prez whom allowed foreign forces to bombard own nation #Yemen
I`m against Houthi and I`m 100% against Saleh, but today I am a YEMENI! I`m against any Saudi intervention in my country
Yemen Peace Project @YemenPeaceNews
Any air campaign against San`a will result in bloodshed, zero political progress. US support for KSA is a huge mistake here. #Yemen
On Tuesday, twenty-four hours before the air strikes by Saudi Arabia, in the Yemeni city of Taiz, thousands of people protested the advancement of Houthi forces to the southern city of Aden. Shahram Aghamir spoke with Yemeni activist Hisham Al-Omeisy about the worsening political climate in the country and the popular sentiments towards what was then a possible foreign military assault.