AMMAN —AlGhad— Thousands of Jordanians have taken to the streets since last Wednesday, to protest the income tax bill and the fuel and electricity price hikes, despite His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to retract the hikes on Friday.
The protests began with the general strike last Wednesday, and have been going on and off until Friday evening, when thousands across the Kingdom started protesting all at once in Amman, Irbid, Zarqa, Mafraq, Karak, Maan, Jarash, Tafileh, Salt and elsewhere.
Gendarmerie forces stepped in to disband the protesting masses using batons and tear gas in various parts of the country. Injuries were reported.
In the meantime, a record low amount of vandalism has occurred since the protests began, while videos of the relatively light crackdown on protests are all over social media, as more citizens join in across the Kingdom’s governorates.
Protestors blocked several main roads and highways in Amman, Salt, Irbid, Dead Sea, Mafraq and Maan, as passer-by cars responded to the protestors’ calls to pull over.
Hundreds of cars blocked the streets, bridges and circles in Amman and the Dead Sea area as reports confirm similar blocks around the Kingdom.
Earlier on Friday, the labour unions association threatened further escalations if the government does not retract the income tax bill and drop the entire approach to the economic and political crises of the country.
Sources say the Speaker of the House of Representatives has called for an emergency meeting with the unions in the next 48 hours to discuss the situation.
