AP Television

Sanaa, Yemen -17 January 2015

1. Various of protesters marching in streets of Sanaa, chanting slogans and carrying banners denouncing insults to Prophet Muhammad

2. Mid of man carrying banner reading: (English) "Stop Charlie (Hebdo)"

3. Mid of protesters carrying banners

4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdel Salam al-Wajih, Secretary-General of the Association of Yemeni Scholars:

"It's necessary not to limit our reaction to condemnation and repudiation. The Arab and Islamic world must take steps to try to change this condemnation into action and deeds, and cut ties. If Arab and Muslim countries really loved the Prophet, peace be upon him, they would cut ties with France."

5. Mid of protesters marching

6. Protesters marching, chanting: (Arabic) "Stop this drawing!"

7. Zoom in to police squad driving through demonstration to secure the French Embassy

8. Wide of demonstrators gathering in front of the French Embassy

9. Wide of security barriers in front of French Embassy building

10. Protesters chanting

11. Close of banner

12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Muhammed Ali, protester:

"Today we marched to the French Embassy to say 'no' to insulting God's Prophet, to say that the government was silent about the insult to the Prophet, peace be upon him. But the people will not be silent and these crowds show that. We say to the Jews and the French, get out of our land."

13. Various of protesters

14. Zoom-out of security blockade outside French Embassy

LEADIN:

Protesters in Yemen are taking to the streets in anger - following the latest publication of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.

The magazine's new issue depicts the Prophet Muhammad on its cover.

Some see the cartoon as a defiant expression of free speech. But in Yemen's capital, protesters have marched to the French Embassy, saying the cartoon is an attack on their religion.

Outside the French Embassy in Sanaa, protesters are outraged at the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo.

"Stop this drawing!" they chant, waving banners denouncing insults to their prophet.

A police vehicle races by carrying reinforcements to secure the embassy.

"The Arab and Islamic world must take steps to try to change this condemnation into action and deeds, and cut ties. If Arab and Muslim countries really loved the Prophet, peace be upon him, they would cut ties with France," says religious scholar, Abdel Salam al-Wajih.

This latest edition of Charlie Hebdo is the first published since the 7 January attack on its headquarters that left 12 dead.

Muslim religious tradition generally prohibits depictions of Muhammad, out of respect for him and to discourage idolatry.

Many Muslims, like protester Muhammed Ali, find even favourable images of the Prophet deeply offensive.

"Today we marched to the French Embassy to say 'no' to insulting God's Prophet," he says.

"The people will not be silent and these crowds show that. We say to the Jews and the French, get out of our land."

However, there are others who do not partake in the harsh condemnation of the magazine.

Last week a handful of activists were prevented by security forces from expressing support for Charlie Hebdo in front of the French Embassy.

The protests come as Yemen's US-backed leadership faces a serious threat as government troops clash with Shiite rebels near the presidential palace and a key military base.

The militants have seized control of state media in fierce fighting that marks the biggest challenge yet to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi by the rebels, known as Houthis, who swept down from their northern strongholds last year and captured the capital in September.

The violence threatens to undermine efforts by the US and its allies to battle al-Qaida's Yemeni affiliate, which claims responsibility for the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

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