Tens of thousands of Yemenis mark the first anniversary of the war Saturday March 26,2016

Tens of thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of the capital Sanaa on Saturday to March 26,2016 mark the first anniversary of the war between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Iran-allied fighters who had overthrown the government.

The gathering, one of the biggest in Yemen since mass protests in 2011 forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, took place ahead of a ceasefire and UN-sponsored peace talks next month.

Ali Abdullah Saleh, an ally of the rebel Houthi group, made a rare appearance at the gathering, his first since the war began, offering an olive branch to the coalition