A large mass funeral was held on Sunday in western Yemen's Hodeidah Province for the victims of U.S. airstrikes, as people gathered to condemn the attacks for targeting civilians and civilian facilities.
On Saturday night, the U.S. carried out 13 airstrikes on Hodeidah's seaport and airport, destroying several public facilities.
Following the attacks, hundreds of residents in the coastal city of Hodeidah took to the streets on Sunday, calling for an end to U.S. strikes targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure
"U.S. planes targeted Hodeidah City yesterday with 13 airstrikes, hitting the port and airport. They are bombing civilian facilities and structures," said Ahmed Al-Bushri, deputy governor of Hodeidah.
"Our protest today, whether in Hodeidah or other provinces, is to condemn the U.S. aggression. It's a protest against the targeting of civilian objects and facilities that belong to the Yemeni people, not to any specific group, sect, or party," said Ali Khamesh, a protester.
The protests coincided with an official public funeral for victims of the airstrikes on the Yemeni fuel port of Ras Isa on Thursday. The attacks killed 80 people, including port workers and rescue teams.
People at the funeral called for an international investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable.
"We're the families of the victims killed by the U.S. airstrikes. Five workers from our neighborhood were martyred. We were only able to recover three of them, and the other two were completely burned. This is an act of aggression by Israel and the United States against our country and an unjustified attack on civilians," said Mohammed Al-Kadan, a family member of a victim.
Mass funeral, protests held in Yemen after deadly U.S. airstrikes on Hodeidah
Mass funeral, protests held in Yemen after deadly U.S. airstrikes on Hodeidah
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
