Amman: Several Jordanian student
protesters were in hospital today after "loyalists" attacked
their protest camp as police stood by, witnessed said to a news agency.
Around 500 young people from different movements,
including the powerful Islamist opposition, had camped out in
the rain and cold weather to call for reforms to the current
regime and for corrupt leaders to be put on trial.
They were camped out next to the Interior Circle, or
Gamal Abdel Nasser Square, in the capital.
At nightfall, police attempted to disperse the youths,
cutting off electricity to the square around 11:00 pm (0200
IST), a news agency journalist witnessed.
One of the protesters, Moaz Kassrawi, subsequently said to a news agency: "A group of nearly 50 loyalists who were gathered
not far from them (the students) took advantage of the power
cut to throw rocks at the youths".
"Most of those injured suffered head wounds and had to
be hospitalised," he said.
According to another witness, police surrounding 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," another of the
protesters, Nihad Zouhair, said to a news agency.
Police spokesman Mohamad Khatib said to a news agency he was not
aware of any casualties.
Hundreds of Jordanian students had started the protest
camp yesterday in response to a call on the social network
site Facebook, a tool of many of the recent protests that have
sprung up in Arab countries.
They shouted pro-reform slogans and called for corrupt
officials to be put on trial.
"The revolution is happening all around us," they
shouted: "Jordan, your turn is coming."
"We want constitutional amendments to have
parliamentary governments," Alaa Fazaa, of the Jayeen (We are
Coming) group, said to a news agency, adding that the protests would
continue until their demands were met.
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.
The government has formed a national dialogue
committee to speed up reforms, but the panel is facing
problems after the Islamists and others refused to take part.
PTI
