ZARQA, Jordan (AP) — Hundreds of protesters clashed with supporters of Jordan's king on Friday, wounding dozens, in the latest move by the opposition to assert itself amid the country's wave of anti-government demonstrations.

A crowd of about 350 protesters faced off with a slightly smaller group of pro-king loyalists in the town of Zarqa. Two sides hurled stones at each other, leaving people bloodied on the ground.
Demonstrations are continuing in Jordan for in the 14th week by leftists and moderate Islamists, demanding democratic reforms in this Arab U.S. ally.
The violence in Zarqa began when a crowd of protesters rallied in front of the town's Omar ibn Khattab Mosque, listening to speeches by Salafi leaders denouncing Jordan's ties to the United States and calling for rule by Islamic Shariah law in Jordan. A crowd of government supporters gathered nearby to watch.
One of the government loyalists waved a framed portrait of King Abdullah II in the air and marched toward the crowd. The protesters started to push him back. Other Salafis rushed to nearby cars, pulled out clubs and cables and attacked the rival group, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.
Stone throwing and fistfights erupted, leaving many bloodied, until police intervened.
The pro-reform demonstrators in Jordan have been pressing for a series of reforms to loosen the control of the king over the government, including popular elections for the prime minister, who is currently appointed by the king.
At the rally in Zarqa on Friday, one senior Islamic figure, Abed Shihadeh al-Tahawi, lashed out at the Jordanian government for its ties with the United States and for its crackdowns on the protesters, as the crowd chanted, “down down with America, down down with democracy.”
“The Jordanian government has been chasing us everywhere for Americans' sake. We're not going anywhere. One day all the Arab world will be ours,” al-Tahawi said. “We will have Shariah law rule in Jordan, it's only a matter of time, and all America and Israel's efforts will go away.”
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