Justice sought over Jordan violence
Palestinian-Jordanian fans of Al-Wahdat club cry foul after Thursday’s football clashes that left 250 injured.
A day after violence following a football match in Jordan left at least 250 fans injured, investigators are seeking answers to what went wrong.
The unrest broke out on Friday night at a stadium in capital Amman after a match between Al-Wahdat and Al-Faisaly clubs.
Al-Wahdat is supported by Palestinian-Jordanians while the other club mostly draws support from native Bedouin Jordanians.
Almost half of Jordan’s population is of Palestinian origin, and these football games have a history of bringing the country’s ethnic tensions to the fore.
Although most of Jordan’s Palestinians carry Jordanian passports and enjoy citizenship rights, many of them complain that they are barred from taking up security and army posts or holding other top positions in the Jordanian government.
And some native Jordanians feel the Palestinian refugees have no allegiance to the country.
Nisreen El-Shamayleh reports from Amman.