Thread by @el_sabawi

Jordan should be trending right now. Protests have been blocking traffic; men have flooded the streets in such large numbers that even the repressive military force in Jordan can’t beat them into submission (something they frequently do); Protesters are chanting for Jordan to open its borders so they can march to Al-Aqsa. The political unrest in Jordan has been at a boiling point for years now.

High rates of unemployment particularly among young men; significant inflation; high housing costs; low wages; skyrocketing gas prices, electricity, groceries…hardly any industry. Repressive import taxes.

And a monarchy that pockets millions of US government aid in exchange for US military access. The monarchy is now holding on by a thread. 🧵 1/

Expect the Jordanian forces to increase their violence against protestors. Expect the U.S. to send in reinforcements in some shape or form—If the monarchy falls, it will not be a U.S. co-opted government that will organically take its place. It will not be an Israel friendly government. Expect the U.S. to meddle as they always have & to do everything they can to keep the monarchy in place. 2/n

Even a UN Ceasefire isn’t enough to make Israel ceasefire or the U.S. to call for Israel to ceasefire. The calculus has changed. The people are reminded yet again how the governments of the world have failed them. Expect more of this around the world. 3/n

Every time there are protests in Jordan, I call my family in Amman to get a sense of how serious it is, because my grandparents are in Amman. Since October, every time I call they have brushed it off as young men being young men. Skirmishes with the armed guard as usual. But today was different. They spoke about not being able to drive in the streets, of the chaos, of the sheer number of human bodies, of the determination to do something to help Gaza—something has changed. This time, it feels different. 4/

Additional important context: Jordan was created in 1946. When Britain divided up the Arab World into nation states. Before that there was free movement & a greater degree of one-ness. So when Jordanians say they there is no difference between us and the Palestinian people or that we are the same people , it is because the British creation of nation states was a Western government forcing the Arab people into its Western constructs. 5/n

Amman earlier today. 6/n

https://twitter.com/haetamnabil/status/1773082764536906073

There are already plans to start again —at Maghreb tomorrow (sunset)—at the Israeli embassy and doing a sit-in again until dawn, interspersed with prayers. Tomorrow will mark day 5 of protests in Amman.

Looks like the Jordanian monarchy’s security forces has started disappearing protestors/organizers.😞 8/n

https://twitter.com/war3138/status/1773170564649124033

@account14678123 @fath0039 There would of course be a transition period to a democratically elected government but it could still happen!

@UmTara_Talal and I do not base what I say on “hearsay” but rather first hand witness accounts & videos. Have you seen the protests? Do you live around them? Have you witnessed what is going on?

Now if you are saying that this won’t result in political change or that Abdullah will not abdicate the throne—that this won’t make a meaningful difference—you could very well be correct. And I do not necessarily know that it will either. As I said in another tweet, it is too early to tell. It is, however, something the world should be paying attention to and watching.

Let me be clear—I don’t expect anything to happen in Jordan overnight. And there is no reason that push for democratic reform has to be accomplished by violence. There are instances in history when giant masses of peaceful protestors have been able to push for policy change & democratic reforms. What I’m saying is—these protests are worth keeping an eye on to watch for attempts by the U.S. to interfere to protect the monarchy and attempts by the monarchy to violently repress the protestors. If these protests continue with the same fervor & if they grow in numbers…then there may be political change. 9/n

@theRealHDumpty @sandraspitzy The U.S. chose to back SiSi… after the coupe 🤷🏽‍♀️.

It made the WaPo:
👇🏽