11 injured in north Jordan protest

Eleven people, including leader of the Jordanian Labour Front, Ahmed Koufahi and former MP Ahmad Atum, have been injured after police attacked a pro-reform demonstration in the northern city of Irbid, on Friday. Witnesses said that police had used tear gas to disperse the anti-government demonstrators calling for political and economic reforms. The demonstration, organised by Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups, was attended by thousands of protesters. Activists claimed that they tried to access the Wasfi al-Tal roundabout in Irbid, but security forces prevented them from doing so, claiming that a counter, pro-government demonstration had also been organised in the region. The demonstrators chanted slogans attacking the policies of Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, witnesses said. The Information Office of the Public Security Directorate of Jordan, issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying: "A force from Irbid Police Directorate dispersed two counter-demonstrations that clashed near the roundabout of Wasfi al-Tal in the city of Irbid." The media department added that one of the rallies began from a mosque in Irbid and headed towards Wasfi al-Tal roundabout, demanding political reforms, whilst the counter-demonstration also began from the same place. The government office confirmed that security forces had formed a barrier to prevent clashes between the participants in the two protests, but the sheer anger among the activists forced the security forces to use tear gas and disperse the marches. "It [the decision to use tear gas] left 11 people injured, including six security men. One participant was arrested for throwing a gas bomb at the public security force and police," the statement concluded.