The
Yemeni Revolution, initially named the Yemeni uprising (Intifada), followed the initial stages of the
Tunisian Revolution and occurred simultaneously with the
Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and other
Arab Spring protests in the Middle East and North Africa. In its early phase, protests in
Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions and corruption, as well as against the government's proposals to modify
Yemen's constitution. The protesters' demands then escalated to calls for the resignation of
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Mass defections from the military, as well as from Saleh's government, effectively rendered much of the country outside of the government's control, and protesters vowed to defy its authority.