Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Yemeni Parliament yesterday calling on MPs to ratify a draft law banning the carrying of firearms in cities. The demonstrators, mostly rights activists, held placards denouncing the practice of carrying firearms in main city streets across Yemen. The legislation was approved by the Cabinet four years ago and has yet to be ratified by the Parliament controlled mainly by MPs of tribal backgrounds. Yemeni authorities are striving to disarm the 20 million population that hold nine million firearms according to estimates.