Perilous
Times
Man dies, 130 injured in Jordan clashes
* By Musa Hattar in Amman
* From: AFP
* March 26, 2011 6:30AM
A MAN died and 130 people were injured overnight as pro-reform
protesters and government supporters clashed in Jordan's capital
Amman, prompting police to use water cannons to disperse them.
"Khairy Saad Jamil, 55, died today at the Prince Hamzeh Hospital"
in Amman, a medical source told AFP without specifying the cause
of death.
It was the first death since the outbreak of pro-reform protests
in Jordan three months ago.
Another medical source said 130 people, including a policeman,
were injured in the clashes. "Two of them are in critical
condition," he said.
An AFP journalist at the scene said police used water cannons to
break up clashes between students protesting to demand reforms and
government supporters.
Anti-riot police also broke up a protest camp for the students and
arrested several of them, a security official told AFP.
The clashes erupted after around 200 government supporters hurled
large stones at more than 2000 young demonstrators from different
movements, including the powerful Islamist opposition, urging
regime reforms and more efforts to fight corruption, an AFP
journalist reported.
Spots of blood marked the location of the demonstration next to
Amman's Interior Circle, or Gamal Abdel Nasser Square.
On Thursday night, government supporters attacked the young
protesters with stones, injuring at least 30 people.
The demonstrators had complained that "our gathering is peaceful,
but this did not prevent the attacks".
"Does the king agree with such actions? We are Jordanians and we
have the right to express ourselves," said Reda Darwish, 20.
At nightfall on Thursday, police attempted to disperse the youths,
cutting off electricity to the square around 11pm, an AFP
journalist witnessed.
Protesters said around 50 "loyalists" attacked them with rocks
after the power supply was lost, adding that police who surrounded
the scene did not intervene.
"We hold the interior minister responsible for this incident and
we call on the king and the people to protect us from these thugs
who are attacking us," said Nihad Zuhair, another protester.
The students want corrupt officials to be put on trial and
security services to stop interfering in their affairs.
"The revolution is happening all around us," they shouted.
"Jordan, your turn is coming."
"We want constitutional amendments to have parliamentary
governments," said Alaa Fazaa of the Jayeen (We are Coming) group,
adding the protests would go on until their demands were met.
The protesters, including some expatriates, have created
"committees" to clean up the location and provide food, water and
beverages as well as medical care to each other.
"I am here today to express solidarity with the Jordanian people
and back democracy and justice," Lise Olivarius, 25, of the
ActionAid international charity, told AFP.
Since January, left-wing activists have joined forces with
nationalists and the Islamist opposition in calling for
far-reaching political reforms and an end to what they say is
rampant corruption.
More than 200 supporters of the Islamist movement and other groups
demonstrated after Friday midday prayers near the Israeli embassy
to push reforms and mark the 43rd anniversary of the Battle of
Karameh with the Jewish state.
"The Government and the regime should realise that time is not on
their side and it is on the country's side," Said Diab, leader of
the Jordanian Popular Unity Party, told AFP as the protesters
called for the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to Amman.
Elsewhere, thousands gathered in Al-Hussein Gardens west of Amman
to express loyalty and allegiance to the king, dancing to national
songs and waving large national flags and pictures of the monarch.