• An anti-government protest is set to take place in front of the Grand Husseini Mosque in central Amman after Friday prayers on November 12.  
• The Islamic Calendar indicates that the afternoon prayers on November 12 in Jordan will take place around 12:20 (local time).  
• The event is being organized by the “People’s Movement for Change”, a civil society organization that was formed in April 2020.  
• The objective of the protest is to denounce inflation in the economy and its impact on the increasing cost of essential commodities such as food and fuel. The organizers are also calling on people to protest against the alleged misuse of the National Defense Law, which came into effect in March 2020 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.  
• Other political and civil organizations such as the Islamic Action Front, the Jordanian Future Party, the Partnership and Salvation Party, the Stronger Jordan Party, and the Unified Jordanian Movement have expressed support for this protest. They have issued a joint statement along with the organizers urging the locals to participate in the protest with the aim of “communicating a clear message” to the government.  

1. This National Defense Law gives the government sweeping powers to enforce a State of Emergency and other measures such as curfews, close businesses, and place restrictions on people’s freedom of movement to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The event poster indicates that a certain segment of the local population perceives the continued enforcement of this law as infringing on their basic freedoms as it effectively restricts the holding of large gatherings and anti-government protests. The protesters also aim to draw attention to the deteriorating socio-economic situation in Jordan due to the adverse impact of the pandemic and the perceived inability of the government to provide adequate relief.  
2. FORECAST: The participation of several political organizations and civil society groups is likely to encourage their supporters as well as appeal to segments of the local populace who identify with the protest issues to join the event. Additionally, given the centrality of the venue, and the timing of the event post afternoon prayers, the planned demonstration is liable to garner a relatively high turnout, possibly numbering in the low to mid-hundreds. Due to the anti-government undertone of this event, there is a potential for localized scuffles to occur between segments of the demonstrators and security forces, should the former engage in unruly behavior. The centrality of the Grand Husseini Mosque will likely prompt a sizeable deployment of security forces at the locale, which will elevate the chances for friction between authorities and the protesters. Disruptions to vehicular and pedestrian traffic can be anticipated in the vicinity of the protest locale from the late morning and afternoon hours onwards, with some nearby streets potentially being blocked by security forces to limit participation. 

Those operating or residing in Amman during the late morning and afternoon hours of November 12 are advised to maintain heightened vigilance in the vicinity of the Grand Husseini Mosque due to the planned protest and the potential for localized unrest.