Jordan's Islamists rally against parliamentary elections, warn of unrest on the streets

AMMAN, Jordan – Thousands of members of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood have taken to the streets to reinforce the group's boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The boycott is a blow to King Abdullah II, who has made reforms the centerpiece of his campaign to stave off an Arab Spring uprising in his country.

Brotherhood's leader Hammam Saeed spoke to about 7,000 followers Friday in the capital, Amman, insisting on the boycott of the elections, which are expected at the end of this year or early in 2013.

Though the rally was the group's largest in the past year of weekly street protests demanding reforms in Jordan, Abdullah remains firmly in control of the country.

The opposition is limited to fractured groups led by the Brotherhood but has stayed mostly loyal to the king.