Jordan: 'Million-man march’ draws few hundred

Organizers of mass protest in front of Israeli Embassy in Amman draw meager crowd; protesters clash with security forces, call to cancel peace treaty with Israel

Roee Nahmias|Published: 09.15.11 , 21:16

Much ado about nothing? Only a few hundred Jordanians gathered Thursday night in front of the Israeli Embassy in Amman for the scheduled "million-man march," al Jazeera network reported.

Clashes erupted between the protesters and Jordanian security forces, which deployed in force around the embassy building. Several protesters attempted to break through one the barriers, but were pushed back by security forces.

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An al-Jazeera reported on the scene reported that the number of demonstrators was much lower than the organizers expects, even though the crowd increased after a group of Islamic protesters joined the rally following the evening prayer at a nearby mosque.

The protesters called to expel the ambassador and diplomatic envoy, and to cancel the peace treaty with Israel.

Israeli embassy staff in Amman usually return to Israel every weekend, but it was decided to send them back earlier than usual, from fear of another violent raid such as the near-lynch at the embassy in Cairo over the weekend.

"בטלו השלום, גרשו השגריר", הערב בעמאן (צילום: AFP)

Protesters in Amman, on Thursday (Photo: AFP)

For the past week, a Facebook page has been calling Jordanians to attend a "million-man march" towards the Israeli embassy in Amman. Jordan's seven opposition groups announced that they will join the protest, and so did the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood branch.

Earlier on Wednesay, demonstrators demanded the closing of the US Embassy in Jordan over Wikileaks cables suggesting covert US plans to turn Jordan into a home for Palestinians.