ABYAN, 15 Oct — The Ministry of Interior Thursday declared a ban on protests, rallies and gatherings in the southern and eastern regions of Yemen.  The ministry’s press centre said “the leadership at the ministry has urged security authorities in some southern and eastern governorates to make an end to unlicensed and illegal rallies because they disrupt security and stability, lead to anarchy and acts of riots that target public and private properties,” adding “the ministry’s leadership stressed it is essential to hunt down the organizers and inciters of protests and rallies and to hold them responsible for the consequences.”  The statement said “such rallies and protests aim at harming security, stability and public peace which call on security authorities in the southern and eastern regions not to be lenient with them.”  Last Wednesday, thousands of people took to the streets in several cities in the south calling for the separation of the south, shouted anti-government slogans, held banners and flags of the former south Yemen, set tires ablaze and pelted buildings with rocks.  The defense ministry online website, 26-September said “protesters in the southern port city of Mukala Wednesday set a vegetable shop owned by a citizen from Taiz ablaze, blocked roads in several neighborhoods, and committed rioting acts that targeted security and stability in Mukala.”