(CNN) -- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has returned home after undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia, a government spokesman said Friday.
Saleh returned to Yemen after a three-month medical stay in Saudi Arabia, said Mohammed Albasha, the Yemeni government spokesman.
Protesters have been calling for the ouster of the longtime president, who had been recuperating from a June attack on his palace. He has vowed to finish his term.
Government forces shot in the air to celebrate his return as tanks patrolled the streets of Sanaa. By noon, a massive crowd gathered in central Sanaa in a rally in support of Saleh.
Earlier in the day there were isolated clashes between anti- government fighters and Republican Guard forces in at least four different areas in Sanaa, Yemen's capital.
Despite the pro-Saleh gathering, Yemeni activist and blogger Atiaf Alwazir, said she was concerned.
"It's terrible news," Alwazir said. "It's shocking because our concern was that he would try to place his son in charge. We didn't think he would return. We're very tense and we don't know what to expect. It's the polarization in the country that is so worrying right now. Whether he steps down or not, we don't know what to expect because the country is so polarized right now."
Protests were expected Friday, a continuation of the demonstrations against Saleh that have stretched on for months.
Demonstrators began protesting Saleh's 33-year-old regime on February 11 inspired by the revolution in Egypt.
A month later, Saleh offered to draft a new constitution that would establish a parliamentary system, but protesters persisted in calling for his resignation, and numerous high-ranking political and military officials resigned or were dismissed.
Saleh balked after making overtures to accept an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council to step down and protests have continued.
Amnesty International said that since February, 200 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in the protests.
Government officials have repeatedly denied accusations of excessive use of force, and said the government is committed to establishing a peaceful transfer of power.
Yemeni officials have said forces cracked down on those committing acts of violence during protests."CNN's Mohammed Jamjoon and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.View the original article here
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