Yemenis have turned out in massive crowds across the country to demand their embattled president immediately step down, while his loyalists are rallying in his support in the capital Sanaa.

The Yemeni president’s own tribe has called on him to step down after a deadly crackdown on protesters, robbing the embattled US-backed leader of vital support in a society dominated by blood ties.

A massive demonstration against Yemen’s government turned into a killing field today as snipers fired down on protesters from rooftops and police made a wall of fire with tires and petrol, blocking a key escape route.

The Yemeni government escalated its efforts to stop mass protests calling for the president’s ousting, with soldiers firing rubber bullets and tear gas at students camped at a university in the capital in a raid that left at least 98 people wounded, officials said.