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Jordanians protest against new gov't
A week after King Abdullah installs new leadership, thousands of opposition supporters inspired by Cairo uprising gather in Amman to protest new prime minister, support Egyptian demonstrators
Supporting their brothers – Hundreds of Jordanians inspired by Egypt's uprising on Friday staged a protest against Jordan's prime minister, installed just days earlier in response to anti-government marches.
However, Jordan's main Muslim opposition group said it wants to give the new leader a chance to carry out promised political reforms, and Friday's turnout was much smaller than in previous protests against rising prices.
The scenes of mass protests in Egypt have riveted the Arab world, and unrest has spread to other countries, most recently Yemen where tens of thousands on Thursday called on their long-time president to step down.
However, expectations of large-scale protests in Arab countries after Friday's noon prayers, the highlight of the Muslim religious week, did not materialize.
Egyptian protesters. Getting support from Jordan (Photo:Reuters)
Even the march in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Friday was far smaller than previous anti-government protests. Jordan's King Abdullah II has tried to preempt further unrest by sacking his Cabinet earlier this week and installing a new Prime Minister, Marouf al-Bakhit, amid promises of political reform.
The Islamic Action Front, the political arm of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, said it is confident about change after meeting with the king and al-Bakhit, said a leader of the group, Nimer al-Assaf.
"We are very optimistic that change will happen," al-Assaf said after Friday prayers at a mosque near the prime minister's office where the activists gathered.
He said the opposition would give the new government a chance and that he did not expect further protests.
Friday's protesters in Amman included Islamists and supporters of other opposition groups. Small protests took place in three other towns in Jordan.
"We want jobs and an end to corruption, which is making government officials rich on the expense of poor people like me," said unemployed Mahmoud Abu-Seif, 29, who joined some 150 marchers in the city of Karak.
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