Watchdog claims gov’t resorted to force to counter demos. AMMAN — The government on Saturday questioned the objectivity of a report issued by Human Rights Watch (HRW) claiming that authorities have increasingly resorted to force, arrests and politicised charges in response to demonstrations for political and economic reform. “Jordan criminalises speech that is critical of the King, government officials and institutions, [and] Islam, as well as speech deemed defamatory to other persons,” the New York-based watchdog’s 2013 report said. Government Spokesperson Samih Maaytah told The Jordan Times that the report did not tackle the overall scene in the Kingdom but only focused on individual cases. “Over the past two years, people took to the streets in more than 9,000 activities. Some were politically motivated while others were more focused on the economic aspect,” Maaytah said.
“However, during 2012, prosecutors began resorting instead to charging protesters with ‘unlawful gatherings’ under Article 165 of the Penal Code,” the report said. Authorities complete release of 91 protesters. AMMAN — Authorities have finalised the release of 91 jailed protesters, officials announced on Monday, vowing to free the remaining detained activists in line with Royal directives. With Monday’s release on bail of 10 citizens arrested for their alleged role in violent protests over fuel prices last month, authorities have finalised the release of 91 of 116 demonstrators, according to Brigadier General Muhannad Hijazi, prosecutor general of the military State Security Court. In a statement to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on Monday, Hijazi underlined that officials will release an additional 10 protesters on Tuesday in line with His Majesty King Abdullah’s orders last week.
The release of the remaining 15 activists has been delayed pending investigation into their alleged role in vandalism, looting and destruction of public property during last month’s fuel riots, Hijazi noted. Jordan Protests: Shock Absorbed, the Regime Will Not Fall. There is no doubt that the November protests in Jordan were unprecedented. They were a first in terms of mass, explicit slogans directed against the King and the Hashemite monarchy, with some demonstrations even calling for the establishment of a republic in Jordan. While this is clearly a watershed in the development of the opposition movement in Jordan, the regime has successfully been able to absorb the shock of the protests and will not fall in the foreseeable future. In contrast to his father – the powerful and politically savvy King Hussein – Jordan's current king has proved a weak monarch.
Upon taking the throne, King Abdullah II introduced his own advisors and high-ranking officials into the regime. In many important respects, the new king’s men were no different from their predecessors: both were corrupt and willing to implement neoliberal economic policies. When it comes to opposition, the regime has played its cards well over the years. This suits the regime quite well. Protesters demand "fall of the regime" in Jordan. Overnight demonstrations over fuel price hikes in Jordan may have spiraled into a nation-wide revolt against the country's regime Wednesday, according to various activist sources. Rioting broke out in several cities and various key routes were reported to have been blocked by protesters, after Jordanian prime minister Abdullah Nsur announced a 53 percent increase in household cost of gas and a 12 percent rise in petrol prices.
The government had cut fuel subsidies in a move to secure a $US two-billion IMF loan. Security forces used tear gas and water jets, and forceful disbanding in some areas, to disperse protesters. In some of the demonstrations, people were heard chanting: "the people demand the fall of the regime. " The chant is a rhetorical hallmark of the so-called Arab Spring, which was widely seen to have sidestepped Jordan. Several protesters also chastised the country's monarch King Abdullah II, saying "Freedom is from God, in spite of you, Abdullah. " (Al-Akhbar) Thousands of Jordan protesters tell Abdullah to "go down" Thousands of protesters chanted the Arab Spring slogan "the people want the downfall of the regime" in Jordan's capital on Friday, as demonstrations against rising prices gather force in a country so far spared the brunt of Middle East unrest.
The mainly urban Muslim Brotherhood joined hitherto largely rural protests that have erupted in the last few days, raising the spectre of lasting instability in the kingdom, a staunch US ally with the longest border with Israel. Friday's demonstration near the main Husseini Mosque in downtown Amman was peaceful, with unarmed police separating the demonstrators denouncing King Abdullah from a smaller crowd chanting in support of the monarch. "Go down Abdullah, go down," the main crowd of about 4,000 protesters chanted as police, some in riot gear, largely stayed away from crowd. Protests have turned violent in impoverished towns across the kingdom since Wednesday when the government imposed a hike in the price of fuel. King orders release of jailed protesters. AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah directed authorities on Monday to release over 100 jailed protesters, ending their month-long detention.
The Monarch directed the government to release 116 citizens detained for their alleged participation in, at-times, violent protests over rising fuel prices last month. According to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the decision excludes 13 detainees who are facing charges of criminal conspiracy, vandalism and illegal detention of people for their actions during the wave of riots.
A government decision in November to lift fuel subsidies and the subsequent increase in fuel prices sparked protests, riots and acts of vandalism in the Kingdom that resulted in over 70 injuries and the deaths of one citizen and two police officers. In a press statement, the government vowed to take “all legal measures” to comply with the directives, stressing its respect for “peaceful movements” expressing their demands within the boundaries of the law. Activists, relatives call for release of jailed protesters. AMMAN — Dozens of activists and family members rallied in Amman over the weekend to protest against the ongoing detention of some 100 protesters, the latest in a series of demonstrations demanding their release. In a rally outside the Prime Ministry on Saturday, some 200 activists called on the government to release those detained for their participation in, at times, violent fuel price protests last month.
During the peaceful demonstration, participants criticised the authorities for transferring the jailed protesters to the State Security Court (SSC), chanting, “No to martial law” and “Civil courts for civilians”. Saturday’s rally was the latest in a series of demonstrations demanding the protesters’ release. As part of Friday’s weekly protests, some 200 leftist and independent activists gathered in front of the SSC in northeast Amman to demand the release of the detainees, chanting, “For shame, for shame, they arrested free youths” and “The SSC is standing between us and reform.”
Jordan in Lockdown: Protests Set to Rock Capital. Riot policemen stand guard as protesters from the Islamic Action Front and other opposition parties demonstrate against fuel prices rising, after Friday prayers in Amman November 23, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed) Author: Al-Hayat (Pan Arab) Posted November 29, 2012 Jordanians lie in wait for tomorrow’s [Nov. 30] demonstrations, which opposition leaders have called for in the capital of Amman to end the so-called “era of absolute monarchy.”
Summary⎙ Print The streets of Jordan’s capital, Amman, will be on lockdown on Friday as authorities gird for mass rival pro-government and Islamist opposition rallies, reports Tamer Samadi. Author Tamer Samadi Posted November 29, 2012 Translator(s)Joelle El-Khoury This prompted the Islamist opposition to label the measures an attempt by the authorities to “reduce the number of participants in the demonstrations.” In a press conference yesterday [Nov. 28], Obeidat said, "The heart of Friday’s demonstrations is the slogan of reforming the regime.”
Jordan Times. AMMAN — Heavy rains failed to dampen participation in protests across Jordan on Friday as nationwide demonstrations over fuel prices continued. In a Friday to “save the homeland”, activists braved inclement weather in seven of the country’s 12 governorates to protest against a recent government decision to lift fuel subsidies. Irbid served as the epicentre of Friday’s protests, with the northern governorate witnessing three simultaneous rallies. In a rally led by supporters of the Islamist movement, some 200 citizens gathered in front of Yarmouk University, demanding that the government resign over what they described as economic policies leading to “rising prices”. During the Irbid rallies, participants also called on the authorities to release all remaining protesters detained over the past week, who activists place at around 90. Meanwhile, fuel protests continued in Amman as some 300 leftist and independent activists warned of a “popular uprising” in a downtown rally.
Jordan protesters want regime reform, reject price hike. (AFP) - Former premier and intelligence chief Ahmad Obeidat joined thousands of Jordanians on Friday to protest fuel price hikes, demanding regime reform and the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur. “The people want to reform the regime. We demand reform and change. Nsur, out before the people revolt,” chanted the protesters led by Obeidat’s National Reform Front which includes opposition Islamists.
“The people want the downfall of the (fuel) prices. Together, let’s reject the decision to raise the prices,” read a banner carried by the demonstrators, gathered near Gamal Abdel Nasser Circle, close to the city centre. Police said 3,000 people took part in the protest, while Islamists put the number at around 20,000. According to an AFP estimate, the demonstrators numbered around 10,000. Demonstrators gave police flowers, but a limited number called for “the fall of regime,” which is punishable by imprisonment under Jordanian law.Obeidat however stopped them. Mass Amman rally ends peacefully. AMMAN — A mass pro-reform rally ended peacefully on Friday after counter-protesters suspended a series of rival demonstrations. Under the slogan “Popular uprising for reform”, some 7,000 activists converged on the capital’s Interior Ministry Circle to call for urgent political reforms and protest a recent government decision to raise fuel prices.
During the rally, organised by the independent coalition National Front for Reform (NFR), participants called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour to resign over what they described as “failed policies”. They also called on authorities to release dozens of protesters detained during a series of violent demonstrations over fuel prices last month that left over 70 people injured and resulted in millions of dinars in damage to government property. In a break from protesters’ recent provocative calls for “regime change”, rally-goers instead urged for “regime reform”, chanting, “Reform and change has to come.”
Protests in Jordan: The Normal and the Exceptional - By Marc Lynch. The unusually intense protests that swept Jordan two weeks ago in response to the government's decision to raise fuel subsidies focused attention on the kingdom's long-simmering political crisis. The protests shocked many observers not only because of their size and geographical scope, but because of the virtually unprecedented calls for the overthrow of the monarchical regime. The protests tapered off after a few days, partly due to a backlash against these more extreme slogans among a generally reformist opposition. But even if the Jordanian monarchy was not to be quickly swept away, deep and fundamental political problems remain unresolved.
The subsiding of the headline-grabbing protests does not mean that Jordan's political crisis is over. For more on Jordan's troubled politics, see these recent articles from the Middle East Channel: "Jordan is not about to collapse" - by Nicholas Seeley (November 14, 2012) "What's (maybe) new in Jordan? " KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP/Getty Images. Photos: Protest in Downtown Amman | بالصور: مسيرة الجمعة في وسط البلد. Home الرئيسيه About من نحن About 7iber عن حبر FAQs The Editors المحررون 7iber Labs | مختبرات حبر Contribute شارك Contact إتصل بنا 7iber Inc حبر إنك Arts&Culture | فنون وثقافة Environment & Urban Issues | بيئة وقضايا المدينة Featured | قصص مختارة Politics & ِEconomics | سياسة واقتصاد Societal Issues | قضايا اجتماعية Home » Politics & ِEconomics | سياسة واقتصاد Photos: Protest in Downtown Amman | بالصور: مسيرة الجمعة في وسط البلد November 24, 2012 0 Comments and 11 Reactions تصوير | Post to Facebook Post to Twitter Send via Gmail Send via Hotmail Post to Digg Post to Delicious Add to Reddit Post to Blogger Post to Ning Add to LinkedIn Send via Yahoo Mail Add to Technorati Favorites Post to StumbleUpon Get Shareaholic for Firefox 7iber Calendar | رزنامة حبر Categories Citizen Voices | صوت الشعب Amer Sweidan on Photos: Olive Harvesting | بالصور: حصاد الزيتون Zaki Ziad Zaidan via Facebook on بالأرقام: الزواج والطلاق في الأردن | In Numbers: Marriages and Divorces in Jordan samer on زيارة إلى السيرك خليل on زيارة إلى السيرك 7iber.
November 2012. Syria rebels confront Assad's air power A no-fly zone may yet be established in Syria – not imposed by foreign powers but through the efforts of rebel fighters on the ground. Air power is almost the only area of the conflict where the Assad regime still has a clear advantage, and the rebels are now beginning to challenge that.
The rebels have previously shot down helicopters (probably with guns) but now there is growing evidence of surface-to-air missiles being used to attack fighter jets. In the video above, a rebel is shown holding a Russian SA-16 MANPAD. At the same time, rebels have stepped up their attacks on military bases – capturing more of the regime's anti-aircraft defences for use against its own aircraft. The EAWorldView blog sees this as part of a strategy: "The FSA is targeting relatively small anti-aircraft bases, capturing equipment that can be used against the Assad regime, but also looking for ways to confront the Assad airforce. The NYT report continues: طلبة "الأردنية" ينظمون احتجاجا للإفراج عن المعتقلين | طلبة الأردن الإخباري.
In Jordan's Tafilah, Demands Escalate for King’s Downfall. Protesters hoist a women's abaya, or local dress, in front of the secret-police headquarters in Tafilah, on Friday, Nov. 9. (photo by Katie Paul) Author: Katie Paul Posted November 16, 2012 Last Friday, a crowd of men set off from the local mosque in the small southwestern city of Tafilah to deliver a gift to the chief of the secret police at his office on the other side of town. Summary⎙ Print Tafilah, a small tribal mountain city south of Jordan's capital of Amman, would not seem to be a vanguard for change in Jordan — but it is.
“It's a woman's dress,” explained Majdi al-Qabalin with a twinkle in his eye, “because he's a coward.” Along the way, they called out chants addressing King Abdullah II: “You saw what happened to Mubarak, Qaddafi and Ben Ali,” they cried. At the time, the streets of Amman still quiet, such calls seemed an impossibility for the rest of Jordan. “When the Hashemites came from Saudi Arabia on camels with nothing, we protected them. Jordan protesters face charges over anti-monarch chants. Peaceful march held in Karak over price hikes. Professional associations observe 3-hour work stoppage.
King, Tribal Chiefs Visit Injured Security Personnel. Military prosecutor charges 89 activists with inciting revolt. Teachers to Continue Strike on Monday, Citing High Participation. National Reform Front Calls for Major 'Popular Revolt' Demonstration. Protests in Jordan after spike in fuel prices - Middle East. Getting Past the Brink: Protests and the Possibilities of Change in Jordan. مرصد: ردود الفعل على رفع أسعار المحروقات | Round-up: Jordanians React to Fuel Price Hike. Photos & Sound: Protests in Jabal Hussein & in front of Raghadan Palace | بالصوت والصور: مظاهرات في جبل الحسين وأمام قصر رغدان. Sit-in until the fall of the puppet King. Riots in Baqaa Refugee Camp, Block Main Highway.
Riots Renew in Southern Governorates, Reformers Distance themselves from Riots. 20 Arrested in Karak, Tafileh over Riots. إغلاق طرق في الزرقاء والحسا والشوبك وناعور.. ومناوشات بذيبان (صور) | اهم الاخبار. Videos - lمسيرة حي الطفايلة 13-11-2012. Muslim Brotheerhood's office vandalized in Karak. Riot police use tear gas to disperse protesters in Irbid. إصابة (3) دركيين بإطلاق نار في السلط ..وحرق 4 مركبات للكهرباء | اهم الاخبار. اصابة شرطيين واحراق محطة وقود في اربد..واحتجاجات في عجلون والمفرق | اهم الاخبار. Police disperse Amman protest; 10 officers, 4 citizens injured during riots. Amman Protest Slogans Trample on "Red-Lines" إعتصام الداخلية بلا سقوف | اهم الاخبار.