Hodeidah.. Houthi militia closes a private factory and shoots its protesting workers

Today, Monday morning, the terrorist Houthi militia closed the gate of a private factory and opened fire on its workers who were protesting its closure in Al Hudaydah Governorate (western Yemen).

Local sources told "Yemeni Youth Net" that the Houthi militia closed the gate of the "Delsi" soft drink factory, owned by Darham Industries Limited, in Al-Maraw'ah District, east of the governorate center.

The sources added that the militia deployed heavy machinery and armed personnel around the factory, closed its gate, and prevented workers from entering.

The sources explained that the militia opened live fire at the workers who were trying to enter the factory.

The sources indicated that the workers closed the main road, the Hodeidah-Sana'a line, in protest against being prevented from entering the factory and closing the factory.

In the first official comment on the incident, Walid Al-Qadimi, the first deputy governor of Hodeidah in the legitimate authorities, attributed the closure to the militia’s attempt to impose royalties on the factory.

He added in a post on the X platform that the Houthi militia is these days "looting businessmen to pay them large fees under the name of the Al-Aqsa Flood courses that it holds in the governorate's directorates."

Meanwhile, at dawn on Monday, gunmen affiliated with the terrorist Houthi militia group closed the gate of the Dirham Company "Delsey" factory in Al-Maraw'ah District and prevented the factory's workers and employees from entering.
Factory workers and employees are blocking the main road, Hodeidah-Sana'a line, in protest against being prevented from entering the factory.… pic.twitter.com/tyzwfXgopA

— Waleed Al-Qudaimi (@waleedALQudaimi) December 9, 2024

Over the past years, the Houthi militia has been subjecting a number of businesses and businessmen to severe harassment as part of its economic war. It has also imposed large financial levies on them under various names, which has prompted many to reduce or close their activities and leave the country.