There are always worse cops somewhere

Kareem Fahim has an article in The New York Times about Jordan:

Riot police officers wielding wooden clubs broke up a peaceful demonstration in downtown Amman on Friday afternoon, beating protesters and journalists. The episode was a sign of rising tension over the slow pace of political reform in the kingdom. Organized by youth groups and attended by members of labor unions and a large contingent from the Muslim Brotherhood, the protest began after Friday prayer at the Husseini Mosque. By about 1:30 p.m., hundreds of protesters were marching through a market district, chanting The people want to reform the government and We are citizens, not subjects. Police officers surrounded the march. Half an hour later, the protesters faced off against a small group of government loyalists, and a youth leader called on protesters to stage a sit-in. Dozens of police officers charged the gathering and gave chase as protesters ran. Against a shuttered shop, a cluster of more than ten officers struck a man with truncheons (photo) as frightened fathers hurried their children away from the violence.
Several Jordanian and foreign journalists covering the clashes were also beaten, including Sami Mahasneh, a writer for the newspaper al-Arab al-Yawm, whose arm was broken. At least two police officers were injured, the authorities said; they included an officer who said his leg was broken and another who the authorities said had been stabbed.
Protests in Jordan have persisted since the beginning of the Arab Spring, driven by anger at corruption, the lack of government transparency and King Abdullah II’s absolute hold on power. One person was killed and more than a hundred people were injured during a protest in March but, for the most part, the demonstrations have not been as large or sustained as the ones that toppled autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia.
Opposition leaders have faulted the King for offering what they say are inadequate concessions, including a vague promise that the country’s Prime Minister would be elected, not appointed, in the future. The antigovernment protesters blame internal divisions and the tactics of the security forces for their lack of momentum so far, but they say they will escalate their protests.
In areas outside the capital, the King is becoming the subject of angry chants that tie to him to corruption, protesters say. Amid the calls for reform among the demonstrators in Amman on Friday, a smattering of people could be heard calling for the downfall of the regime. Several opposition groups decided not to participate in the demonstrations, citing mistrust of the Muslim Brotherhood’s intentions and tactics. After police officers wearing blue uniforms had dispersed the marchers with beatings, dozens of other officers marched into the intersection, smacking their truncheons against their shields. By early evening, armored cars had arrived as well, carrying more officers. Some of the dispersed protesters gathered again in a nearby square, chanting and singing a Bedouin wedding song, and were left alone by the police.