Rise of the Houthis
Yemen, once known for it's rich culture and kind people, is now infamous for it's instability. Post-revolution, nearly everyone looked for a leader to follow.
Many found that in the Houthis (who also call themselves Ansar Allah). Once a small politico-religious group in the highlands seeking to revive their religious and cultural practices, they were beat down by the Yemeni government in six wars between 2004 and 2009.
Though their acerbic slogan pushed away many, they claimed the words and slogans were directed at western government interference.
Named for their founder, Hussein al Houthi, the Houthis invested in their once -broken province of Sa'ada through community rebuilding, education, and support, their numbers grew exponentially.
In September 2014, after months of protest under the new "Peoples Revolution", Houthi supporters and allied tribes swept into Sana'a, kicked out a corrupt tribal family, dissolved any authority that remained from the government, and outside Al Qaeda from some strongholds in the south.
They promised a new beginning, yet internal and external forces led Yemen to a new period of instability.
A Yemeni man guards the valley from a mountaintop during a Houthi gathering outside Sana'a, Yemen.
Houthi supporters guard a checkpoint, one of many set up along the road to enter one of their gatherings just outside Sana'a.
Yemeni men read a list of names in a martyrs cemetery, listing people killed in the previous wars pitting the Houthis against the central government in Sa'ada.
Yemeni women squeeze through a door in a gender designated section of a rally in Sana'a. Men and women attend protests separately, often in equal numbers.
Young boys raise their hands during class at a newly reconstructed school in Sa'ada. In the previous wars much of the infrastructure was destroyed.
A student billboard is seen at the Mohammad Jamal al Hurra Martyrs School in Sa'ada.
A Yemeni girl visits the graves of martyrs from the previous Sa'ada wars where the Houthi leader and founder, Hussein al Houthi, was killed in Marran, Sa'ada.
A Yemeni man examines the shell of a US-made missile that landed in the mountain village of Marran, Sa'ada. Small munitions dot the hills to this day.
A Yemeni girl pauses on her way home in the Old City of Sa'ada. In the previous wars, much of the historic district was flattened.
Yemeni men visit the caves where their leader, Hussein al Houthi, took refuge and was eventually killed during the previous Sa'ada wars.
A Yemeni man recovers in the hospital after being injured in clashes between Houthi-supporters and government troops.
As people grew restless with Yemen's post-revolution transition, the Houthis began to push south from their traditional stronghold of Sa'ada.
Yemeni tribesmen in support of the Houthis from around the captial set up tents and camps on the outskirts.
A Yemeni man speaking to al Maseera TV holds up a weapon, allegedly found at al Iman University, a Salafi school that clashed with the Houthis during their push into the capital.
Green and white banners fly from a rooftop denoting support for the Houthis.
A paper with the American and Israeli flags is set for people to step on en route to a Houthi gathering. While anti-American and Israeli sentiment has long been part of the Houthi rhetoric, supporters say their ire is directed toward said governments.
A Yemeni man recovers in a hospital after being injured in clashes between Houthi supporters and government troops in Sana'a.
A Yemeni boy part of the Keshafa, similar to the Scout program, guards a protest named "The Second People's Revolution".
Houthi supporters camp out in the center of Sana'a, calling for government action moving forward with the national dialogue.
Yemeni women attend a women-only protest in support of the Houthis.
A Yemeni man and woman watch Houthi supporters in Tahrir Square after they managed to enter Sana'a overnight.
Houthi supporters make their way home after a gathering that discussed politics, religion, and their place in modern Yemen.