What began as a sit-in at the gates of a royal palace in the southern city of Aqaba by a small number of unemployed youths on Feb. 14 has evolved into a protest movement. More than 40 young Jordanians decided to walk from Aqaba to Amman, some 218 miles away, to stage a sit-in at the Royal Court to demand jobs. As they marched, they were soon joined by others along the way.
By Feb. 20, the demonstrators numbered more than 150. While they camped outside the Royal Court in Amman, unemployed youths elsewhere announced that they too would be marching to the capital. Thus began the new movement underlining the plight of thousands of young Jordanians, many with college and university degrees, who cannot find a job.
