Aden (South24 Center)

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Aden and several South's governorates held public rallies on Wednesday, October 14, to mark the 63rd anniversary of the October 14 Revolution, responding to the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) call for general public mobilization.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at Al-Aroud Square in Aden’s Khormaksar district, waving the flag of the State of South Yemen and chanting in support of restoring an independent southern state, according to photos and videos documented by South24 Center.

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South24 Aerial Footage: Al-Aroud Square in Aden hosts the crowds of the South on the anniversary of the October 14 Revolution in response to the "general mobilization" call 

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Shabwa, Hadramout, Al-Mahra and Socotra also held parallel events, while convoys from southern governorates and districts traveled to Aden for the central rally.

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South24 Video: Children performing a traditional dance during the general mobilization rally in Al-Ghaydah

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In Ataq, the capital of Shabwa, the rally began despite the STC’s local branch condemning what it described as a ban on peaceful marches and security measures to obstruct them. The branch called on the local authority and security committee to secure the gatherings, stressing that the rally was peaceful.

In Mukalla, local sources told South24 Center that security forces had surrounded hundreds of women at the STC headquarters ahead of their participation in the event.

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Video: Public Security forces in Al-Mukalla continue to blockade demonstrating women to prevent them from participating in the October 14 events this afternoon

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In a statement issued after the rallies, participants rejected drawing southerners into wars and conflicts beyond the defense of their national borders and service of their national project. They also rejected giving the southern conflict a sectarian or ideological character.

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South24 Center coverage:

Video: The South national anthem during the "general mobilization" event in Seiyun as part of the southern celebrations commemorating the October 14 Revolution

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The statement also condemned recent Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia.

It called on regional and international communities to recognize the southerners’ right to restore a fully sovereign independent state within the internationally recognized borders that existed before May 22, 1990. It linked the security of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to giving southerners military and political decision-making authority in the region.

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On the anniversary of the October 14 Revolution.. Massive crowds of demonstrators in Socotra affirm adherence to the South's right to self-determination 

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In a televised address on Tuesday evening, STC President Aidarous al-Zubaidi called on people to join mobilization centers and stand ready to support southern forces. He reaffirmed the council’s political path, outlined on January 2, 2026, and urged Saudi Arabia and regional and international communities to recognize the Constitutional Declaration and Political Statement issued that day.

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The convoy of Yafaa residents as it sets off toward the capital, Aden, to participate in the event commemorating the glorious anniversary of the October 14 Revolution

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— South24 | English (@South24E) October 14, 2026

The STC announced its call for general mobilization at an expanded meeting of its bodies in Aden on October 4, scheduling rallies in Aden and other South's governorates under the slogan “Mass Rally for General Popular Mobilization to Defend the Arab South and Its National Cause.”

The October 14 Revolution began in the Radfan mountains in 1963 against British colonial rule.