Thousands protest at Israel's assault on Gaza

By Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan deployed riot police to disperse protesters planning to march on the Israeli embassy in Amman on Friday, and tens of thousands rallied across the nation and in Egypt to protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Demonstrators near the embassy in Amman's Rabia district hurled stones at the police, who were backed by armoured personnel carriers firing teargas, and chanted slogans demanding Jordan cut its diplomatic ties with Israel.

"Expel the ambassador. No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land," they chanted.

Protesters also demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Egypt, which also has diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Some 1,500 demonstrators outside the Rafae mosque in the Egyptian coastal city of El Arish threw stones at police, injuring three, witnesses said.

Thousands took to the streets in other Egyptian cities after Friday prayers, demanding Egypt open its border with Gaza to help supply food and medicine. Police broke up most of the protests.

At least 5,000 demonstrators in downtown Alexandria, on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans against Israel and in support of Hamas, the Islamic movement that controls Gaza.

"We are very angry about the dead people, the women, and the children," said Hassan Ismail, 40. "We are asking the Egyptian government to open the Rafah border crossing and we are asking that food and supplies as well as weapons be sent to Hamas."