US embassy warning for Jordan after Jerusalem protests kick off in Amman

Youths chanted anti-American slogans, witnesses told Reuters, while in the Baqaa refugee camp on the city’s outskirts, hundreds of youths roamed the streets denouncing Trump and calling on Jordan’s government to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. “Down with America.. America is the mother of terror,” they chanted.

The US Embassy in Jordan on Wednesday had warned of potentially violent demonstrations following President Trump’s move.

In a security message, the embassy in Amman said it has urged US personnel to keep their children home from school on Thursday and that American citizens in Jordan should “maintain a low profile.”

“Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news for updates,” the message reads.

“Maintain a high-level of vigilance, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security and follow instructions from local authorities. Avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.”

King Abdullah’s Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, making Amman sensitive to any changes in the status of the city, whose eastern sector was captured by Israel from Jordan in a 1967 war. The king made repeated warnings to the US against making the move this week.

Many people in Jordan are descendants of Palestinian refugees whose families left after the creation of Israel in 1948.