Jul 21 2011
Why did the uniformed police attack the press?
By Daoud Kuttab
The Jordanian authorities were clearly opposed to the demonstration planned for the Nakheel Park near downtown Amman. They were afraid that the demonstrators wanted a prolonged strike, similar to the one in Tahrir and Pearl squares, in Egypt and Bahrain. Pressure on the organisers was clear if one read the local papers that morning. The security branches of the government were poised to deny the demonstrators their desire and made some last-minute changes regarding the location of the demonstration in order to ensure that it will not be an extended protest. In the morning of Friday it was clear that the various security forces were pumped up and ready for a fight with the demonstrators if the latter didn’t behave according to this plan. Continue Reading »