Jordanian security services arrested about 45 activists and activists, yesterday night and Thursday morning, after announcing the organization of a protest sit-in this afternoon in the Hashemite Square in central Amman.

According to the families of the detainees, the arrests included professional union activists, partisans, military retirees and former MPs, including former MPs Wasfi Al-Rawashdeh and Ghazi Al-Hawamleh, former head of the Anti-Normalization Committee, the former union activist Maysara Malas, party activist Khaled Hassanein, Hussein Abu Al-Sheikh, Kifah Abu Farhan, and the three brothers Abd al-Rahman, Ibrahim, Siraj al-Din Suhail Shdeifat, Jamil al-Hajjaj, Issam al-Manasir, Amjad al-Ajarmeh, and others.

Activists and activists commemorate what is known as the anniversary of March 24, the date on which the Jordanian movement began - or what is known as the "Arab Spring in Jordan" in 2011 - calling for political and economic reforms, and witnessed an open sit-in at the time at the "Interior Roundabout" known as "Jamal Square". Abdel Nasser" in central Amman, and the authorities dispersed him by force.

Violation of defense orders

The arrests began on Wednesday night and continued until Thursday noon - according to lawyer Hala Ahed - in an attempt by the authorities to prevent any gatherings or marches towards the Royal Palace in Raghadan, and to commemorate March 24.

On the other hand, a security source told Al-Jazeera Net that "a number of organizers and advocates for organizing a sit-in and a march at noon today were summoned and arrested, for violating defense orders, and for not obtaining official permission to hold the sit-in, according to the Public Meetings Law."

Jurists expect that the detainees will be released this evening, Thursday, as was the case on March 24, 2021.

From the March 24, 2011 demonstrations, in which protesters demanded political and economic reforms (Reuters)

The media committee of the so-called "March 24 Revival Forces Coalition" issued a statement yesterday evening, Wednesday, calling on Jordanians to organize a peaceful sit-in, in commemoration of the 11th anniversary of the national movement demanding reform "March 24".

In conjunction with the glorious memory of dignity, in which the heroes of the Jordanian Arab army and the forces of the revolution wrote the epic of dignity against the army of the Zionist enemy, the forces and currents of the Jordanian popular movement and the national movement invite you to a peaceful sit-in against the approach of dependence, impoverishment, corruption and tyranny.

A few days ago, a committee calling itself the "Preparatory Committee for National Salvation" - led by former Jordanian minister Amjad Al-Majali - issued a statement calling on Jordanians to sit in the Hashemite Square in central Amman, and organize a protest march towards the royal palace in Raghadan.

According to a statement received by Al Jazeera Net, the march is a protest against "loading Jordanians with burdens they cannot bear, and the deep state's embargo on the Jordanian people, and on every honorable official who wants to change for the better."

In turn, the Freedoms Committee of the Islamic Action Front Party - the largest opposition party - denounced the campaign of arrests that targeted a number of political and movement activists in a number of governorates in the Kingdom in an "arbitrary manner", as it described it, on the background of issues related to freedom of opinion guaranteed by the constitution.

The head of the committee, lawyer Abdul-Qader Al-Khatib, described the arrests as "a discriminatory approach that the government continues to deal with political activists and activists of the movement demanding reform, and their right to express their opinion peacefully."

Al-Khatib added that "the continuation of the approach of political arrests exacerbates the crisis situation the country is going through, at a time when there is increasing official talk about reform and the need to create a positive atmosphere to achieve the desired reform, which requires stopping the security mentality in dealing with reform demands, and releasing all prisoners of conscience. Stop restricting public liberties, and stop all arbitrary and unjust measures that constitute a flagrant attack on the constitution and the law.”