The Jordanian protests were a series of protests in Jordan that began in January 2011, and resulted in the firing of the cabinet ministers of the government. In its early phase, protests in Jordan were initially against unemployment, inflation, corruption."Protesters demand 'saving' Jordan from corruption" . The Daily Star (Lebanon), (2 December 2011). along with demanding for real constitutional monarchy and electoral reforms."Thousands rally to demand reform in Jordan" . The Daily Telegraph, (5 October 2012).
Food inflation and salaries were a cause for resentment in the country. The 2010-2011 Tunisian Revolution and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution also raised hopes for political change in the region. Together with unrest elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, including the disturbances in Syria and Yemen, they were part of the Arab Spring.
King Abdullah II responded to the protests by reforming around a third of the constitution, establishing the Independent Election Commission, and vowing to embark on a democratic trajectory. He sacked three prime ministers in 18 months, settling on Abdullah Ensour as prime minister in 2012 and called for early elections in 2013. Later, introducing complete proportional representation to the House of Representatives in the 2016 parliamentary election, introducing decentralization in the 2017 local elections, and reforming the judiciary.
Background
Jordan's economy continues to struggle, weighed down by a record deficit of $2 billion in between 2010 and 2011 due to the Arab Spring. Inflation in Jordan has risen by 1.5% to 6.1% in December 2010, and unemployment and poverty have become rampant, estimated at 12% and 25% respectively. The government is also accused of impoverishing the working class with regressive tax codes which forced the poor to pay a higher proportion of their income as tax. The parliament is accused of serving as a "rubber stamp" to the executive branch.
Jordan has a history of persecuting activists and journalists. The country amended its penal code in August 2010 and passed a Law of Information System Crimes, to regulate the Internet. Revised laws continue to criminalize peaceful expression and extend those provisions to Internet expression. Jordanian authorities prosecuted peaceful dissidents and prohibited peaceful gatherings to protest government policies. Dissidents confined by the General Intelligence Department routinely sign confessions. According to a report by Amnesty International, intelligence agents in Jordan frequently use torture to extract confessions from suspects.
Some analysts suggests that since peninsular Arabic speaking Jordanians form the "bedrock" of the government's support, while self-identifying Palestinians are generally closer to the opposition. Such analysis suggest that many government supporters are worried that if Palestinians are allowed a greater role in the country's politics, they could drag it into the Israeli–Palestinian conflict against Jordan's best interests. Conversely, Palestinian-Jordanian protesters want their degree of political power to reflect their significant demographic share. However, evidence of historical and recent protests suggests that the backbone of the protests are of peninsular Arabic speaking Jordanians disfranchised by liberal economic policies instituted in the country during the last decades. Specifically, previous mass protests include protests in 1989 in the city of Karak and other southern towns in the country known as April 1989 uprising (هبة نيسان) that led to reintroduction of democratic life. In 1996, bread riots erupted in Ma'an and other southern cities in Jordan as well.[libres.uncg.edu/ir/asu/f/Ryan_C_1998_Peace.pdf] Both are predominantly of peninsular Arabic speaking Jordanian origins. More recently, the 2011–2012 uprising started with movements all over the country specially in towns with a predominantly east-Jordanian population known locally as Al-Hirak. Therefore, according to many analysts while protests in Amman might generates a media buzz about a revolution in Jordan, but discontent in rural Jordan among peninsular Arabic speaking Jordanians is what would really tip the scales. Regardless of identity and demographic sensitivities both groups tend to agree on the need for a more robust economy and a cure for Jordan's crippling unemployment. However, many argue that the sensitive demographic balance in the country will ultimately decide how wide and deep political reforms will go.
Protests
Early stage Protests began on 14 January 2011, as protesters demanded Samir Rifai's resignation as well as economic conditions. On 26 January, the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the largest opposition groups in Jordan, urged Jordanians to pour into streets on 28 January to continue the protests against prime minister Samir Rifai's economic policies and the political situation in the country.
Demonstrators protested rising prices and demanded the dismissal of the Prime Minister and his government, but they have not directly challenged the king, criticism of whom is banned in Jordan. The demonstrators have been peaceful and have not been confronted by the police. So far no deaths, injuries or riots have been reported; however the protests' leaders said that the king had failed to take substantial steps to address mounting public resentment and they warned that unless real changes are made, that unrest could worsen. King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally, has come under pressure recently from various protesters which include a coalition of Islamists, secular opposition groups and a group of retired army generals, all of whom are calling for substantial political and economic reforms.
Ali Habashnah, one of the retired generals desiring reforms, said that unrest has spread to rural areas dominated by Bedouin tribes. These tribes have been a traditional backbone of the monarchy. It was the first time, he said, that the Bedouins had joined with other groups in demands for change.
On 28 January, following Friday prayers, 3,500 activists from the Muslim Brotherhood, trade unions, and communist and leftist organisations demanded that Samir Rifai step down as prime minister and that the government control rising prices, inflation and unemployment. Protests were reported in Amman and six other cities. Thousands took to the streets in the capital, Amman, as well as several other cities shouting, "We want change." Banners complained of high food and fuel prices and demanded the resignation of the prime minister, an appointee of the king.
On 2 February, demonstrations continued in demanding that King Abdullah II sack his newly appointed prime minister. Hamza Mansour, one of the leaders of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, demanded elections to choose another prime minister. He said that Al-Bakhit "doesn't believe in democracy."
The day after King Abdullah met with Muslim Brotherhood leaders at the royal palace, in an attempt to defuse tensions in the country, on 4 February, hundreds of people, including members of leftist groups and the Muslim Brotherhood, congregated outside the prime minister's office to demand economic and political reforms and the dissolution of parliament. They then marched to the Egyptian embassy in support of the anti-government protesters in that country. On 18 February, protesters who gathered in central Amman to demand political reform, clashed with a small group of government supporters that eyewitnesses claim attacked the protesters with sticks and stones, before the police restored order. Eyewitnesses said about 2,000 protesters, mostly young people joined by trade unionists and others, took to the streets after prayers at the Husseini Mosque, though other reports said the number was about 300.
About 7,000–10,000 protesters were on the streets of Amman on 25 February, in the largest protests so far.
In the first week of March anti-government protesters continued where opposition groups demanded such greater political freedoms as a constitutional monarchy.
On 24 March, Al Jazeera reported that around 500 protesters, mainly university students and politically unaffiliated unemployed graduates set up a protest camp in a main square in the capital to press demands for the ouster of the prime minister, seen as insufficiently reformist, as well as wider public freedoms. Other demands include dissolving the parliament, which was seen as too docile, dismantling the intelligence department and giving greater powers to the people, including a new, more proportional, election law. Jordan's opposition also wanted to strip the king of some of his powers, specifically in appointing the prime minister, as they wanted the premier to be elected by a popular vote.
On 25 March, clashes occurred between supporters of the king and more than 2000 protesters camped in Gamal Abdel Nasser Circle. Some witnesses said the police stood by as government supporters moved into the square and began throwing stones. As many as 100 people were reported injured, most with head wounds, while two people are said to have been killed. However, the next day in a press conference, the commandant of public security, Lieutenant General Hussein Al-Majali confirmed that there was one death only, with 62 injured civilians, and 58 injured policemen (including a brigadier general and a lieutenant colonel). Forensic medicine report confirmed that there were no signs of any injury, and that the patient actually died of circulatory collapse secondary to chronic ischemic heart disease. In the same press conference, Al-Majali also confirmed that 8 civilians and 17 policemen were still receiving hospital treatment at the time of the conference, and also stressed that policemen were completely unarmed and they interfered just to save the lives of people whatever their political view is.السرور : لن اسمح للاعتصام بالداخلية .. والمجالي : لا اعلم اذا احتفل افراد الامن مع مسيرة"نداء وطن" | شؤون محلية | وكالة عمون الاخبارية . Ammon News (26 March 2011).خبرني : نبض الشارع : نقيب الاطباء ينفي تصريحات نسبها له التلفزيون . Khaberni (26 March 2011). On the same day of clashes, thousands gathered in Al-Hussein Gardens, west of Amman, to express loyalty and allegiance to the king, dancing to national songs and waving large Jordanian flags and pictures of the monarch.
On 1 April, nearly 400 policemen were deployed to separated hundreds of government supporters and pro-reform activists holding rival rallies outside municipal offices in Amman.
On 15 April, more than 2,000 Jordanians took to the streets throughout the country demanding greater political representation, with half of them demonstrating in Amman, immediately after prayers. Also, a crowd of a few hundred Islamists clashed with a somewhat smaller group of monarchy loyalists in Zarqa. Eight civilians and 83 policemen were wounded, including 4 in critical condition.
Protests continues On 13 June, the motorcade of King Abdullah II was attacked with stones and bottles by protesters in the city of Tafileh, although this was later denied, a royal official stating that they were enthusiastically greeted. Some indication is that this was actually an outbreak of violence between the Darak (Jordanian Gendarmerie) and local unemployed protesters. It is alleged that the local mayor caused the Darak to force back the protesters not wanting his city to look bad, the protesters replied with stones and empty bottles. The King is alleged to have been 12 km away.
On 17 June, youth groups and activists will protest calling on greater reforms,"Karak Gears Up For Friday Pro-Reform Protest" , Ammon News. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011 which the kingdom has dismissed for 2–3 years, including the election of a prime minister and cabinet."Jordan's king: Elected PM in 2–3 years", Forbes. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011