Jordan: popular protests are escalating, civil disobedience is approaching, and security forces are mobilizing and arresting 44 people
Security authorities in Jordan have arrested 44 people who participated in the riots that erupted during protests over the rise in fuel prices in the kingdom, Jordan's Public Security Directorate announced in a statement published Saturday.
The Security Directorate added that it had "intensified its security deployment in the kingdom's governorates to ensure the enforcement of the rule of law and the preservation of citizens' security." At the same time, however, it indicated "a significant decline in the number and unity of riots from Thursday, especially in the southern governorates."
Since the beginning of this month, governorates in southern Jordan have witnessed mostly peaceful strikes, in protest against the rise in fuel prices, starting with truck drivers who were sometimes joined by taxi and public bus drivers.
Markets and shops were closed on Wednesday in Maan and Karak (about 114 km south of Amman) and Madaba Governorate (35 km south of Amman) in solidarity with this movement.
On Friday, the Public Security Directorate announced the death of Colonel Abdul Razzaq al-Dalabeh in southern Jordan, with a gunshot wound to the head while he was dealing with “riots,” during which an officer and a non-commissioned officer were wounded by gunshots, according to the directorate.
In its statement on Saturday, the Public Security Directorate indicated that the riots “were carried out by a group of vandals and outlaws in the Husseiniya area in Ma’an Governorate” (about 218 km south of Amman).
And she emphasized that “the investigations into the martyrdom of Colonel Al-Dalabeh are continuing, and will not stop until the perpetrator is arrested and handed over to the hands of justice so that he receives deterrent punishment, and we will not hesitate to protect lives, honor and property.”
On Friday, Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the killing of the colonel, stressing that "we will not rest until the criminal receives his punishment before justice for his heinous crime."
In a statement on Friday, the notables and sons of Ma’an mourned Colonel Al-Dalabeh, stressing their “rejection and denunciation of any act outside the law.”
In its statement on Saturday, the Directorate called on "everyone to adhere to and stay away from riot sites and not to participate in them," expressing "thanks to all the citizens who cooperated with the Directorate and gathered around its men in rejection of the attacks and out of concern for the homeland."
Jordan is witnessing difficult economic conditions, which were exacerbated by foreign debts that exceeded fifty billion dollars and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governorates in southern Jordan have recently witnessed mostly peaceful strikes, in protest against the rise in fuel prices, which started with truck drivers a few days ago, leading to the closure of markets and shops, last Wednesday, in Ma’an, Karak and Madaba governorate, in solidarity with the protests.
Likewise, some other areas witnessed road closures with burning tires, in addition to quarrels between security forces and protesters, but they ended peacefully.
A liter of "90 octane" gasoline is sold for 920 fils (about one and a half dollars), and "95 octane" for 1170 fils (1.6 dollars). As for a liter of diesel or diesel, it costs 895 fils (1.3 dollars), and kerosene costs 860 fils (1.2 dollars).
The poverty rate rose to 24%, and the public debt exceeded $47 billion, or more than 106% of the GDP.
The Jordanian government offered some solutions, including increasing shipping fees and distributing sums of money to the most affected families, but it seems that they were not sufficiently satisfactory to the protesters.
Gulf rulers signal their fears of similar protests in their countries by signaling to thier people to support the rulers of Jordan
Unlike their unconditional support to the violent protests in Iran, the Saudi rulers and their media platforms are expressing solidarity with the rulers of Jordan instead of supporting the legitimate demands of the protesters.
Gulf platforms interacted with the rapid events in Jordan, and street strikes and protests against the rise in fuel prices. Gulf activists wished Jordan safety, saying: Cool and peace, Jordan.
Saudi tweeters interacted with the incident of the killing of Jordanian Colonel Abd al-Razzaq al-Dalabeh in Ma'an Governorate at the hands of outlaws, and expressed their grief, and called on Jordanians to preserve their country and their monarchy, and to stand up to what they described as saboteurs, the same description used by the official Jordanian public security statement.
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