What began as a sit-in at the gates of a royal palace in the southern city of Aqaba by a small number of unemployed youths on Feb. 14 has evolved into a protest movement. More than 40 young Jordanians decided to walk from Aqaba to Amman, some 218 miles away, to stage a sit-in at the Royal Court to demand jobs. As they marched, they were soon joined by others along the way.

By Feb. 20, the demonstrators numbered more than 150. While they camped outside the Royal Court in Amman, unemployed youths elsewhere announced that they too would be marching to the capital. Thus began the new movement underlining the plight of thousands of young Jordanians, many with college and university degrees, who cannot find a job.

It took the government of Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz three days before deciding to talk to representatives from the Aqaba march. On Feb. 17, a delegation from the Ministry of Labor had met with the demonstrators 93 miles south of Amman and had tried to convince them to turn back. The marchers were unconvinced.

With public opinion on the side of the protesters, the Royal Court said it was ready to receive their demands and convey them to the government. For a while it seemed that a crisis had been averted, but no sooner had the Aqaba march disbanded than a group of unemployed youths in Maan announced on Feb. 22 that they would begin marching to the Royal Court.