Tens of thousands of demonstrators participated in anti-government protests throughout Yemen today, on what has been called the “Friday of sincere promise.” Since February, Yemen's youth has taken to the street in massive protests and held demonstrations demanding the downfall of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime amid violent efforts by Yemeni security forces to quell protests. The peaceful revolution, however, has seen little progress in the more than six months since its onset. Why has Yemen's revolution lagged so far behind the revolutions of other Arab nations, such as Tunisia and Egypt? Many experts believe the slow pace of Yemen's revolution is due to a lack of unity between Yemen's youth in the streets, opposition groups, and politicians supporting the revolution. Some observers believe the leading opposition group Joint Meeting Parties was too quick to negotiate with a regime that had lost legitimacy, especially as Yemeni's youth has repeatedly expressed its rejection to any negotiations with Saleh's regime or initiatives brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council.

According to Foreign Policy Magazine, Yemen's revolution has reached a standstill because it lacks a broad middle class and dynamic civil society. What started as a revolution has now turned into an “elitist struggle for power.” The revolution is said to have been hijacked by tribal leaders and political elites who gave their support to the revolution but who have hidden agendas to gain power. These figures include General Ali Mohsin, a former close ally of Saleh, hardline cleric Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zindani, and leader of the Hashid tribe, Shaykh Sadeq al-Ahman. This question is examined in Press TV's report entitled “Yemen: The Stolen Revolution?”