By Raed Omari JORDAN TIMES
AMMAN – The Desert Highway was again blocked by tribesmen who rioted yesterday, prompting the intervention of the security forces, who clashed with the demonstrators and were able to reopen the vital road after hours of closure.
According to Public Security Department Spokesman Lt. Colonel Mohammad Khatib, the incidents were preceded by a peaceful demonstration by members of the Hajaya tribe living in the Qatraneh area, 90km south of Amman, demanding what they claim as their lands allegedly sold to investors by authorities.
Khatib said that the protesters were stopping cars to give motorists pamphlets stating their demands and “rights to tribal fronts”, referring to grazing lands the state has for decades allowed bedouins to use.
“After that, they attacked passing cars and blocked roads. Then the governor of Karak tried to negotiate them into opening the highway. They agreed but did not make good on their promise, which prompted the authorities to call the Gendarmerie Forces to the scene,” Khatib said.