Democratic Palestine : 17 (ص 6)
غرض
- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 17 (ص 6)
- المحتوى
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dispersed the crowds that were gathe-
ring. In Amman alone, 80 persons were
wounded among those who gathered in
front of the US embassy to protest.
Students at Yarmouk University burnt
the US flag on campus to express soli-
darity with Libya. Later, the US
ambassador sent a ‘secret’ memo-
randum to Hussein, chiding him for
allowing such a thing to happen.
By May, the heat of nationalist fee-
lings has not subsided. With the
approach of the 38th anniversary of the
Zionist occupation of Palestine, May
15th, the university administration
began to dole out arbitrary measures
against students. University employees,
recruited by the central intelligence,
were on the watch for the least
activity. Hundreds of final warnings of
expulsion were passed out to students
without the usual preliminary notices.
By May 12th, tension ran so high that
the university head called in the central
security forces to make a show of force
and terrorize the students into submis-
sion. One Jordanian student, Ibrahim
Ajlouni, member of the Economics
Society, was dragged by his beard and
handcuffed to intimidate other stu-
dents, while security police, brandishing
pistols, chased students into the univer-
sity mosque. Other students, who
escaped from the university campus,
were chased into downtown Irbid. Many
were taken in by families and hidden,
thus escaping being beaten and arrested.
Contrary to the administration’s
expectations, this brutality only served
to fan student opposition and determi-
nation to pursue their struggle. The fight
was not just one of students against the
administration, but of people against
the regime. The direct involvement of
the security police, units of the central
intelligence and Hussein’s special
bedouin forces, clearly portrays the
nature of the conflict, as does the popu-
Poster made by the Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms in Jordan on the events at Yarmouk
University
lation of Irbid giving refuge and support
to the students. This shows that it was a
conflict between the regime and the
people.
The day before the anniversary of the
establishment of the Zionist state, with
the occupation of 70% of Palestine, was
the day chosen by Hussein to demons-
trate his loyalty as an imperialist patsy.
On May 14th, which was supposed to be
the first day of exams, there was a pea-
ceful demonstration of about 2000 stu-
dents (76% of the student body). Heavy
rainfall did not hinder the marchers who.
headed towards the area of the girls’
dormitories. Dormitory mothers
wrapped chains around the entrances to
prevent the girls from joining the pro-
testors. Nevertheless, the girls threw
blankets, sheets and umbrellas from the
top windows to protect their fellow stu-
dents. The mayor of Irbid, Dr. Abed Al
Rassaq Dubeishat, and an Irbid member
of parliament, Dr. Ahmed Al Kufani,
were called in by demonstrators to wit-
ness the brutality of the administration-
regime collaboration. (Dr. Kufani was
to be injured during the ensuing
clashes.)
At 10 p.m. the same night, the girls
broke out of the dorms, while many
professors and teachers joined the
strike. At midnight, a student delegation
was formed and met with the head of the
university who promised to meet all the
students’ academic demands. The - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 17
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