Posted on 10/05/2012 4:31:31 AM PDT by Eleutheria5
The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan expects 50,000 people to turn out after Friday prayers in Amman for a demonstration on behalf of major political and economic reforms and an end to corruption, according to Agence France Presse. The protest comes about a day after King Abdullah II dissolved parliament and called early elections.
A rally on behalf of the king's more moderate reform policy was postponed indefinitely "avoid problems," according to one of the event's organizers. The anticipated attendance for that event was...
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Thousands of Jordanians marched in the streets of the capital Amman Friday calling for reform.
The protest came at the heels of the Jordanian king, Abdullah II's decision to dissolve parliament and call for elections at the end of the year.
The king's move was likely executed after officials caught wind of the protest, said CNN.
Abdullah has tried to stem any chance of an Arab Spring-style uprising that has swept up neighboring countries by focusing his reform on parliament and prime ministers, of which he has fired four in the last two years.
Reuters reported that the protest was the largest in 22 months of now weekly protests that often occur after Friday afternoon prayers.
More from GlobalPost: Jordan: King Abdullah II dissolves parliament, calls early elections
It was estimated that about 15,000 people took part on the main street of Amman shouting demands for reform.
The "Friday to Rescue the Nation" rally was called by the Muslim Brotherhood, Reuters said, who told members to boycott the upcoming elections.
The Washington Post reported that the Islamist group also denounced recently passed electoral laws favoring rural tribal areas over urbanized areas, their typical stronghold.
It is believed that the protests have yet to amount to a real threat to Abdullah's power as opposition groups remain divided and few desire to see the king overthrown.
The protest on Friday ended without incident.
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For over 20 months, the Jordanian people have had one central demand: the right to choose governments, said Zaki Bani Rsheid, the Brotherhoods deputy head.And for over 20 months, the regime has provided nothing more than empty promises, and now we are faced with a political crisis.
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