A vigil planned at the last minute, by a single Jordanian activist, was held Sunday night outside Amman’s main Roman Orthodox Church in the Sweifieh area. It drew hundreds of Jordanians largely from the Christian community. Mothers, fathers, and children came out with posters, flags (both Jordanian and Palestinian), and both black and red keffiyehs to make a stand for peace and justice.

The vigil began with a short speech in Arabic by Father Alexis Qaqish who gave a moving talk condemning the Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza and praying for the souls of the martyrs including those who fell at the Orthodox Church of Prophyrius in Gaza. The speech was followed by a statement by Yasmine Al Farra the organiser of the event in English. A Church hymnal was initiated by the priest and then the attendees lit the candles.

Slogans that were raised called for the end of the occupation and opposed what they called double standards of the Western countries and media.

Yasmine Al-Farra a Jordanian citizen of Palestinian origin explained why she initiated the vigil which quickly won the support of the Church leadership and the government.

Jordanian police who seemed to have underestimated the turnout said that at least a couple of hundred people showed up. Others put the number at nearly five hundred. Most of the participants appear to be middle to upper-middle-class Jordanians. Slogans both in Arabic and in English were repeated with “Free Free Palestine” which seemed to have been the most repeated slogan.

Others also repeated From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free.”

and demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

As the crowd quickly grew in numbers the Jordanian police brought more police and vehicles.

The vigil ended peacefully but a number of other vigils have been announced in the

coming days.