Jordanians continue fuel protests day after ‘rioting’

Requires protests come a day after riots, staged primarily by offended truck drivers in Maan, left one police officer useless.

Jordanians staged sit-ins on Friday and activists referred to as for extra protests in opposition to gasoline value will increase which have precipitated the price of dwelling to rise, a day after riots within the southern metropolis of Maan left one police officer useless, witnesses and safety sources have mentioned.

The authorities mentioned the policeman was killed on Thursday evening by a gunshot fired by an unidentified particular person when armed officers entered a neighbourhood of Maan to quell riots. Youths had attacked authorities property within the metropolis, witnesses mentioned.

Though the streets have been calm on Friday, sporadic protests continued with a sit-in in entrance of Maan’s most important mosque and a mosque within the capital Amman after Friday prayers, whereas activists referred to as for extra demonstrations.

A number of highways linking the capital Amman to different governorates together with Irbid and Karak have been shut down.

Tensions have mounted in Maan and several other cities in southern Jordan, particularly, after sporadic strikes by truck drivers protesting in opposition to excessive gasoline costs and demanding cuts in diesel costs. Gas value rises have squeezed family incomes and hit lower-income teams disproportionately.

‘Not tolerate violence’

On Friday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II prolonged condolences to the household of the slain policeman.

“We won’t tolerate violence in opposition to our safety personnel, who work day and evening to guard Jordan and Jordanians,” he mentioned, in keeping with Jordan’s Roya information.

For his half, inside minister Mazen Farrayeh informed a information convention that the federal government will apply robust steps and redeploy extra anti-riot police in opposition to demonstrators who protest violently.

“We’ve seen a big leap in violent acts,” he mentioned. “After what occurred, there will likely be more durable safety measures to bolster the safety forces within the areas that witness such acts.”

In the meantime, the pinnacle of the Public Safety Directorate (PSD), Main Basic Obaidallah Maaytah, mentioned 49 safety personnel sustained accidents in confrontations with protesters thus far, in keeping with Jordan’s Roya information.

In an interview with informed Al-Mamlaka state tv on Thursday in Maan, one truck driver pledged they may stay “steadfast”.

“Our solely demand is decreasing gasoline costs,” he mentioned, as he and his colleagues parked their rigs beside a freeway and held a sit-in, the pictures confirmed.

In a single day violence

In a single day, riot police chased youths throwing stones in Amman, Zarqa, Irbid and different cities the place Farrayeh, the inside minister, mentioned rioters torched public property, vandalised state buildings and burned tyres that closed main highways throughout the dominion.

Web customers and activists mentioned web providers confronted slowdowns in a number of areas, disrupting social media platforms activists used to share footage of clashes with police.

Due to incitement to violence and “requires chaos,” the PSD cybercrime unit mentioned it suspended operations of the TikTok social video app inside the dominion, “after its misuse”.

The PSD mentioned it protects freedom of opinion and peaceable expression, however would use “acceptable” drive in opposition to rioters and vandals.

The federal government has promised to look at truck strikers’ calls for however mentioned it has already paid greater than 500 million dinars ($700m) to cap gasoline costs this yr and can’t do rather more if it desires to keep away from breaching an Worldwide Financial Fund deal.

The World Financial institution has mentioned Jordan is closely in debt and faces roughly 23 % unemployment.

Power prices have led to protests in Jordan earlier than, together with in 2018 when Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned after a number of days of rallies in opposition to proposed tax reforms and power value will increase.

Different protests in recent times have normally been peaceable and concerned calls for for democratic reforms and calls to curb corruption.