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.”
Addressing the crowd, NFR leader and former prime minister Ahmad Obeidat called on Amman to implement “widespread reform” and curb corruption, which he described as the “root cause” of the country’s economic woes.
”We demand the combating of corruption as this is the main reason behind the bankruptcy of the state… the dominance of the corrupt has robbed citizens of their right to live in dignity,” Obeidat said.
Friday’s rally also witnessed a large showing by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Kingdom’s largest political movement, which has been largely absent from the streets since the onset of fuel protests last month.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Jordan