Amman sees first children’s rally for reforms

Islamists on Wednesday organised a sit-in, in which two dozen children rallied in Amman for political reforms and an end to corruption. In a so-called children’s sit-in, some two-dozen youngsters protested against rising prices and the recently endorsed Elections Law in a demonstration at the intersection of Madina Munawara and Gardens streets. During the one-hour rally, the young protesters chanted “Citizens are the red line,” “The people are the source of authority” and “No to rising prices”. Fatima, an 11-year-old protester, said that lack of will for genuine political reform is “clear”, even to a child. “We have been asking for political reform for over a year, but there have been no changes on the ground,” the young protester said. “If we are not allowed to form our own governments now, what hope is there for my generation in the future?” In the over 1,000 demonstrations held since the launch of Jordan’s protest movement some 16 months ago, Wednesday’s was the first held by children. With school adjourned for the summer, the Kingdom’s youngest activists might be seen more frequently on the streets, they said. “We will not stop until we have achieved reform,” Fatima said.