Sanaa , Yemen ( CNN ) -- Hundreds of anti-government protesters marched toward a presidential palace in Yemen on Sunday , calling for regime change in the Middle Eastern country . Some of them chanted , `` First Mubarak , now Ali , '' referring to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Hosni Mubarak , who recently resigned as president of Egypt after nearly 30 years in power . Security forces put up a barbed wire barricade and blocked the protesters ' path about two miles from the palace . At that point , the situation intensified as protesters turned away and attempted to reach the palace through side streets . Clashes between protesters and police were reported by witnesses . According to Tawakkol Karman , a prominent Yemeni rights activist and president of Women Journalists Without Chains , anti-riot police then `` went into the crowd of protesters with batons and tasers , '' attempting to disperse them . Karman said she and other protesters were hit with sticks and that at least 12 people were arrested . One of those arrested , human rights lawyer Khaled Al-Anesi , has since been released . The CNN crew at the scene was surrounded by security officers , who seized the journalists ' videotapes . Nearby , a group of about 40 pro-government demonstrators chanted , `` With our souls , with our blood , we will sacrifice for Ali . '' The anti-government group first gathered at the gates of Sanaa University earlier Sunday , where another group of pro-government demonstrators carried pictures of Ali . Police tried to disperse the crowds and stepped in to prevent pro-government demonstrators from following when the anti-government group headed away from the university and toward the palace . The group of anti-government protesters included students and rights activists . Their numbers swelled from about 400 to more than 1,000 as they marched through Sanaa 's streets . The anti-government protests were significant because earlier in the day , Yemen 's Embassy in Washington confirmed that the opposition coalition had announced its intention to hold a national dialogue with the administration . The government welcomed the opposition 's willingness to initiate a dialogue -- though the protesters indicated otherwise . Meanwhile , the state-run news agency Saba reported that Saleh had decided to delay a visit tot he United States that was to take place in late February . Saleh has ruled Yemen for 32 years and has pledged not to stand for re-election when his current term -- which started in 2006 -- ends in 2013 . Mubarak 's lengthy rule ended Friday when he stepped down after 18 days of anti-government protests rocked Egypt . Echoes of Egypt 's revolution resonated across the region , with anti-government protests in Yemen and Algeria . Demonstrations are also planned in Libya and Iran on Monday . Brief clashes erupted Saturday in Yemen between hundreds of pro- and anti-government demonstrators who staged rival rallies in the capital . The clashes , which left a small number of people injured , followed an anti-government protest Friday night in which men armed with knives attacked more than a thousand demonstrators , according to human rights groups .
Clashes reported between protesters and police . The government says it is cracking down on the protests, but has not provided any evidence to back up its claims. Government forces set up a barbed wire barricade to block protesters . Echoes of Egypt 's revolution have resonated across the region .