Protesters danced, sang and slaughtered cows in the central square of Yemen’s capital today to celebrate the departure of the country’s authoritarian leader for medical treatment after he was wounded in a rocket attack on his compound.

Thousands of anti-government protesters held their ground today in the Yemeni capital’s Change Square despite the president’s acceptance of an Arab proposal to leave office under certain conditions after 32 years in power.

Yemen’s embattled president agreed tonight to a proposal by Gulf Arab mediators to step down within 30 days and hand power to his deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution, a major about-face for the autocratic leader who has ruled for 32 years.