By Ghazi Balkiz
Amman
The Jordanian Professional Associations on Saturday considered the ongoing violent confrontations between the Palestinian people and the Israeli forces throughout the Palestinian towns as a New Intifada, and declared that they will launch a “Return Procession,” on the 24th of October.
Head of the associations unions, Saleh Armouti, said the procession, which will set out from all professional associations’ offices throughout the kingdom, to meet at the Jordanian-Israeli border.
According to Armouti, who was talking at a press conference in Amman, the rally expresses the associations’ refusal of the principle of “return or compensation,” for the Palestinian refugees. He stressed that all refugees have the right of return, and “compensations should be paid after the refugees return to their homeland.”
Asked if the union has obtained permission from Jordanian authorities to hold the march, Armouti, a leading opposition figure, said “the procession does support the government policy, and the plan will be discussed soon with Prime Minister [Ali Abu Ragheb,] who himself has taken part in a similar march.
“The average street man and all the political spectra in Jordan will support the march,” said Armouti, who heads the Bar Association.
The head of the union also told reporters that some Arab dignitaries and activists have been invited to take part in the rally, including Secretary General of the Arab League Esmat Abdul Meguid together with other politicians and union members.
He added that the associations’ council had called on its Lebanese and Palestinian counterparts to set out on similar rallies simultaneously.
“We had positive responses, especially from Lebanon,” he said.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
