Jordanian Youths Attack Anti-Riot Police, Allegedly ‘Stone’ King’s Motorcade
- Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:36pm by
Billy Hallowell
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AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Angry young Jordanians attacked anti-riot police guarding the motorcade of King Abdullah II on Monday, officials and eyewitnesses reported, saying the monarch wasn’t the target of the violence in a poor southern town.
The spurt of violence, unusual here during months of unrest elsewhere in the Arab world, pointed up the simmering tensions in Jordan, even a day after the monarch bowed to popular protests and endorsed the idea of an elected government.
Eyewitnesses said a crowd of about 60 people, mostly in their 20s, were enraged at the Tafila mayor’s barring young unemployed from a town meeting with Abdullah, and at the harsh treatment by anti-riot police, who beat them as they tried to line the sidewalk for the motorcade and present petitions to the king.
A security official had said earlier that youths flung bottles and stones at the motorcade in two incidents in Tafila, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Amman.
The king was unharmed in the incidents, but 25 police were injured, said this official, insisting on anonymity because he isn’t authorized to discuss royal matters.
Government spokesman Taher Edwan insisted it was not an attack on Abdullah.
“What happened is that a group of young Jordanians thronged the monarch’s motorcade to shake hands with him,” he said. When police “pushed them away, there was a lot of shoving.”
The incident came a day after Abdullah, in a nationally televised speech, acceded to a major demand of months of protests and announced he would accept Cabinets formed by elected parliamentary majorities. That would replace a system under which the king appointed the prime minister and other ministers.
Four eyewitnesses said the violence was directed at the police, not Abdullah.
One witness, Tafila shopkeeper Yazan Abu Yousef, 26, said that as crowds approached the motorcade leaving Tafila, to hand-deliver petitions to the king, anti-riot police pushed them away “savagely” and people responded with stones.
Another suggested Tafila‘s youth were upset that Mayor Salim Rawahneh didn’t allow them to attend the meeting with the king.
“The mayor invited people he favors and who live far away in Amman, but not us,” said the young unemployed man, who declined to be identified. “We wanted to give petitions to the king, we wanted to tell him about our difficulties in not finding jobs, but we were beaten and humiliated.”
Similar accounts flooded the Internet, including Facebook.
Officials said Abdullah was on a fact-finding trip to inspect infrastructure projects and hear his subjects’ demands. A royal palace official said Abdullah pledged 15 million Jordanian dinars (US $21 million) for a Tafila development fund, ordered free medical treatment for the townspeople for the coming year, and announced that 1,000 townsmen will be conscripted into the army, positions that bring medical and other benefits.
The palace official, who declined to be identified because he is not allowed to speak to the media, said the king was unaware of what happened until he left the area.
As violence has rocked other authoritarian countries across the Arab world, it has been rare in Jordan, a key U.S.-allied nation where pro-democracy protests in recent months have generally been confined to relatively small and peaceful demonstrations.
The desert town of Tafila, which has received little government support in the past, has high unemployment and lacks the shopping malls, movie theaters and modern services found in the capital.
In announcing the parliamentary reform Sunday, Abdullah did not give a timetable, saying that sudden change could lead to “chaos and unrest” in Jordan.
It was the first time he has made such a concession to demands he loosen the monarchy’s absolute grip on power.
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Netsurfer2
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 11:34pmGeorge Soros is that you??? Playing Rose-Ellen in the Blaze??? I just love it when Rose-Ellen comes on. Makes me think of apple pie and mama’s home baked bread. Oh, I forgot, we are not in Kansas anymore… LOL Silly me! Maybe you should go live in the Palestine you love so much under their Sharia Law and leave us real American’s alone! So that we can at least dream of what it used to be like when people like you were not around!
Report Post »rubydee
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 10:50pmOh, Rose-Ellen. It must be so difficult for you to live in America. Or do you? I sooo can’t wait for the day when your eyes will be opened along with the others of your ilk.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 8:07pmYet TODAY the uppity arabs are rising up against the american backed mass murdering,torturing dictators.The times are a changin’ for arabs and the last thing the pro zionist racists and greedy- for oil- and military- bases, americans want is democracy for a billion muslims.Then the cover is blown and israels racist state is exposed as morally indefenssibleThen americans have to pay market prices for oil like everyone else and its harder to dominate the world without military bases everywhere.You‘re hoping and praying Fox’ spector of a moslim brotherhood bent on ruling the mid east and the world by force transpires [like a b sci fi movie] .in the meanwhile your anti-arab genocidal media propaganda campaign is in full force to incite as much hatred against arabs as you can get away with.So that even as they march for freedom from tyranny you can deny what you see and what you hear;you’ll be so full manipulated genocidal hatred you will distort whatever reality on the ground transpires.. All must be filtered through the genocidal anti arab zionist forces [FOX}.Typical tactics of a genocidal peopl;[21st century nazi’s now called americaans!.
Report Post »Whirled Peas
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 7:24pmrose-ellen
Report Post »Posted on June 13, 2011 at 5:19pm
*************************
Damn… the ’60s must have lost its raving lunatic. You need to find that time warp and get back on it.That ‘imperialist’ rant was from the unwashed hippies that have cheated their way into our government. You should be ranting about them… hypocrites that they are. They were bitching about that crap back then and are perpetuating it now…. Do a Code Pinko in one of the houses of Congress and let them know you’ve escaped the butterfly nets and strait jackets….
EP46
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:58pmKing Abdullah is a friend of Israel and America. Do we need to know any more? We are under attack by a group determined to have Islamic rule in the middle east and destroy anyone standing in the way. Mubarak kept peace by keeping Egypt aligned with the U.S. and Israel, so he had to go. Quadaffi will not give in to the Islamic terrorists (bad as he is) so obama has a KILL out on him. obama has threatened Netanyahu and he has little to say about Assad killing people in Syria because Assad is friends with Iran. Any leader in the middle east who will not hand over control of their country to Islamic terrorist will be forced out and obama will help all he can to achieve this goal.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 6:50pm100% right that’s the truth .
Report Post »ozchambers
Posted on June 14, 2011 at 2:25pmThis is true. Members of my family have been friends with King Abdullah and he has been able to adeptly strike a balance being pro-western and USA while still being highly respected by his people and other Mid-Eastern countries, but the balance has been tipped towards the violence-loving militants who are hiding behind the “Democracy” name. It is getting very dangerous for Israel and the world.
Report Post »NOBALONEY
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:31pmYesterday King Abdullah II announced elections for some cabinet positions. Jordan had roits back on May 13th in opposition to the Wadi Araba; which is Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel. The King is married to a Palestinian, and Jordan has ties with the Palestinians. This is another reason why the Arab League is being co-opted by fundamentalists, and will be active with obtainning a Palestiinian State that has always been part of the charterr of the Arab League.
Report Post »caprica
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:30pmthe Eurpean Union is a desaster ….and we USA is working to support them the fucccke up commmmists
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/zero-hedge-the-feds-600-billion-stealth-bailout-of-foreign-banks-continues-at-the-expense-of-the-domestic-economy-or-explaining-where-all-the-qe2-money-went/
USA is broke ! poor ! -USA is changing into a 3rd World Country!
Report Post »We must work and pay taxes…..and all of it goes to bailout of Foreign Banks ……this is disgusting…
.44.8 Millions of Americans are on Food Stamps, unemployment over 9.1 % ……….American People loosing homes and value of their property ……Dollar is loosing value, Gold is over $1,500 per ounce! DEEP Recession is here! huge inflation is here and more to come in next 12-18 months.
is this the Change and Hope we want? and vote for?
saviorammo
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:56pmHow about, over twenty U.S cities are falling apart from the inside out and they American taxpayer is getting totally screwed. Throwing good money after bad. That all of our government is rotten to the core. And that soon, muffinhead ******* will riot here in America with their African brothers and those white people who faught and made America great will be deemed the problem and be marked for removal?
Maybe you should start really paying attention to America, Blaze and let Israel and God completely destroy every freak’n ****** in the Middle East?
This would be a good start. By the way, what are those friendly Chinese up too? Any comment Blaze?
Report Post »santramir
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:44pmbilderberg gathered june 12 at st moritz and nobody in the states knows a word http://www.yournews.com/copyroom/mynews.asp
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:33pmwith all this left wing communist in one place you would think that the blaze would send someone to cover, but they don’t even mention the meeting, what a shame, this is way bigger than most people will ever know, to bad more medias or peoplen don’t get it , theese people think they rule the world ,and they just might, we must stop this new world order,before it is to late, wake up balze, get to work and expose who these people are and what they are up too,
Report Post »EP46
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:59pmJust the same old New World Order…been going on for decades and Hillary has been part of it for years.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 7:34pmCommonsenseguy…I just don’t think Glenn wants to steer his herd in that direction. The truth has no agenda Glenn. Truth is good. Truth brings peace. Truth wards away evil. Don’t be afraid Glenn. Give it up. Everyone’s going to come to the truth eventually.
Report Post »Hula Calhoun
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 10:49pmCEO of The Blaze came from the Huffpo. Notice how many articles quote the Huff or have a link? Do a search using words “Huffington Post” and see for yourself. I don’t think Betsy is making changes for the better. The Blaze is fast becoming irrelevant.
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:43pmSuch nice little hate mongering killers….where is your love muslim?
Report Post »Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:51pmWait, it’s coming to America soon, thanks to Obama and the main stream media turning people into retarded puppets.
Report Post »Webonics
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:57pmWill this be discussed at tonight’s Republican Debate- that apparently the Blaze has not heard of yet?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:19pmThe Arabian Spring, and soon enough, the American Winter unless we keep it from happening.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:56pmWebonics….should it be?….or are we better served talking of things where Obama doesn’t have a leg to stand on?….2010 was one of the biggest landslides ever…and the Middle East had nothing to do with it. If Republicans go down that route, it would be like blowing a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th inning with 2 outs and the bat boy is up at the plate…..You were probably kidding though.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 5:19pmAmerican backed tyranical puppets are getting a shaking from their own people.it’s about time!Welcome to the 21st century-the peoples’century.It’s not so easy to take over the world america.Long live the arab uprisings.And if they replace this puppet[who enables america to steal oil and commit mass murder and torture of arabs] with fundamentalist islam [which i doubt it-at least not in all their lands] that’s their business.As indigenous people they have the right to choose their own government and society [if they want to make adultery a capital crime for the next thousand years-that's their business]And culture is transmitted by women-if and when they want reform they’ll get it.American style imperialism [like colonial style]of propping up brutal regimes for our interests at the expense of the peoples interests [exposing our hypocrisy about valuing universal human rights as we rendered anti-american freedom fighters to them and demanded the dictators deal with all resisters to american backed regimes be "dealt with"[tortured ,killed or imprisoned]. is on its way out.Long live the people rising up against the american neocolonial brutal dictators and all other dictators.You’re anti-muslim propaganda campaign exposes your desperation.It‘s not so easy to commit genocide and it’s not so easy to take over the world.Yhe uppity arabs are rising up.You never expected that.Hence your genocidal campaign ,your only hope to cling to power there.Good luck with that one.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 6:47pmOnce again here’s ROSE-ELLEN the muslim terrorist & sharia law lover .
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 7:09pmI’m replying to my above comment…I got carried away….I just think we need to get back to Constitutional government and get out of foreign lands as much as possible. I think our main enemy has always been from within.
Report Post »Whirled Peas
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 7:18pmObama Snake Oil Co
Posted on June 13, 2011 at 3:43pm
Such nice little hate mongering killers….where is your love muslim?
Report Post »********************************
The Star and Crescent crowd loves NOTHING but death…. think about it, what else do they have to live for? Goats? Camels? women dressed in black garbage bags? Yep, that’s my idea of a good life… where do I sign up?
Meyvn
Posted on June 14, 2011 at 6:00pm@Rose-Ellen: Why don’t you go dye your hair blonde and see how much you bring at the ****** sex slave sale?
Report Post »