Yemen people protest President Ali Abdullah Saleh

Thousands of Yemenis protested in the streets of Sanaa Thursday calling on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to relinquish his power.

As thousands of pro-government supporters counter-protested, government officials dismissed any comparison of the Yemeni demonstrations to the recent protests in Tunisia that led to the ouster of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Radio France Internationale reported.

"We gather today to demand the departure of President Saleh and his corrupt government," said Abdulmalik al-Qasuss, a member of parliament from the opposition Al-Islah Party.

Demonstrations called by the Common Forum opposition group were conducted in four parts of the capital, all urging an end of Saleh's 24-year-rule. Saleh's ruling General People's Congress organized four counter-demonstrations.

Opposition leaders say Yemenis are angry about by corruption, a decline in the currency and a recent constitutional amendment that would allow a president to remain in office for life, the Financial Times reported. Anti-government groups also were outraged when a prominent female human rights activist was arrested during the weekend but she has since been released.