Activists demand change in peaceful Jordan protest

Amman, Jordan (CNN) — A heavy police presence in downtown Amman Friday ensured that this week’s demonstration did not result in a repeat of clashes between pro-government and anti-government demonstrators.

Hundreds of police officers were present during the large demonstration, which spanned blocks, keeping the two groups separated throughout the march that lasted nearly two hours following Friday prayers.

It was the latest in a string of protests and came as anti-government protests have spread across the Middle East and Africa.

Pro-government demonstrators carrying signs of King Abdullah II marched ahead of the much larger group of anti-government activists that waved Jordanian flags, banners, and signs. A small boy held a poster over his head which read, “No to thugs – Yes to freedom.”

The two sides clashed last week in Amman. After the first scuffle police say a group of anti-government protesters who re-grouped in front of the Al Husseini mosque came under attack by a group of men with sticks.

Some of the protesters say police failed to protect them from their attackers.

Public Security Directorate Chief Lt. General Hussein Majali has said there were 20 officers on site last week when the clashes broke out and reserves, which were about five minutes away, were called in and changed their tactics accordingly.

When asked about police intervention during the second incident last week, Majali said,”It could have been faster.” He said that “the people came running and the police ran also and even worked to separate them.”

Police say four activists were injured during the attack.

The Justice Ministry has formed an investigative committee in an effort to identify the assailants.

Two suspects have been detained, and there’s an order to detain another 11 suspects in connection with the case, according to government spokesman Taher Odwan.

“This act has harmed the government and the image of Jordan and will not be forgiven,” he said.

During this week’s downtown demonstration, at least one pro-government demonstrator, Nedal Dudin, tried to find some common ground.

“We are here today to prove that we are all Jordanian,” he said.

Meanwhile, the much larger group of anti-government protesters, including a mix of independent activists marching alongside leftists, Baathists, Islamists and youth activists, made it clear the time for change is now.

The Popular Unity Party’s youth party chief Fakher Da’as said his group wants to see a new elections law within two months, rather than the three-to-nine month plan the government has proposed.

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Jordan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, participated in Friday’s demonstration after steering clear of the downtown marches for two weeks in order to give the new government of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit time to carry out reforms.

Nimer Al-Assaf, deputy secretary general of the IAF, said the group’s decision to join to protesters this week was motivated in part by concern over the attack on demonstrators last week.

Hamza Mansour, secretary general of the IAF said the group also joined Friday’s demonstration to reassert the right of peaceful expression and to demand swift reform.

He said while the government has started with some positive steps, like the progress made on amending the public meetings law, it’s not enough.

“We need them to speed things up,” Mansour said during Friday’s march.

“We want fast, constitutional reforms that will lead us to a parliamentary government. We want reforms that will make the parliament a true representative of the Jordanian nation.”

Mansour said the IAF and other opposition groups sent a letter to Prime Minister Bakhit this week asking for the new elections law and the political parties law to be addressed within two months.

The government, meanwhile, has announced the formation of a national dialogue committee headed by the prime minister and eight ministers that will spend the next three-to-nine months engaging with groups across the political spectrum in order to come up with proposals for revising the two laws.

On Sunday King Abdullah II told his new government to enact “real and quick reform”

amid growing protests around the Middle East, promising to root out corruption and give

lawmakers a bigger role in government.

Khalid Kalaldeh, Secretary General of the Jordan Social Leftist movement remarked, “Yes, we heard the King’s speech but we have to see that on the ground, the government has to take some actions to apply this speech, until that time we are marching.”

Protesters have already announced plans to return to downtown Amman March 4 to demonstrate.

The new government was sworn in on February 9.