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| Arabia |
| Yemen: Protest - After lunch: Yeah, like, whatever man! |
| 2011-02-17 |
| Many head straight from the streets to the souk, or market, to buy bags stuffed with qat, the mild stimulant leaf that over half of Yemen's 23 million people chew daily, whiling away their afternoons in bliss, their cheeks bulging with wads of qat. Sana'a: Yemen's opposition has drawn tens of thousands of people to the streets to rally against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's three-decade-old rule, but by noon the protesters quietly vanish. "After I chew I can't go out. When I chew qat, the whole world is mine. I feel like a king," said Mohammad Al Qadimi, a student who has attended Yemen rallies but said it would be hard to motivate himself to protest all day. Yemenis are not known for being passive. Nationals disgruntled with their government have kidnapped foreigners and locals, ambushed security forces and occupied state buildings to extract concessions. But for many, qat time is sacrosant. "When we have protests, they quiet down quickly because of this Yemeni habit. Qat is a negative influence. Every afternoon people go chew qat and the protests don't last more than a few hours in the morning," journalist Samir Gibran said, as he sat chewing qat with friends. He said he only chews once a week. |
| Posted by:tipper |