15 May 2024

The Other Side of the River

Rania Abouzeid

Four men stood precariously, supported by outstretched hands, on a rickety metal barricade. All around them, a sea of protesters squeezed shoulder to shoulder. They were gathered near al-Kalouty Mosque, in Amman. It was the closest that Jordanian security forces would allow demonstrators to get to the Israeli Embassy, which was about a kilometre away.

The four took turns using a megaphone to lead the evening’s chants:

“To the Embassy!”

“Open the borders!”

“God, rid us of America’s slaves!”

“They said Hamas were terrorists. All of Jordan is Hamas!”

There have been Pro-Palestinian protests in Jordan since the eruption of the conflict in Gaza, last October. But this was different. It was Friday, March 29th, the sixth consecutive night of vigorous demonstrations near the Embassy after the evening Tarawih prayers that are held during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

No comments: