Jordan witnesses officer killed and 49 security wounded in protest against rising oil prices
A cautious calm prevails in Jordan’s governorates after one officer was killed and 49 injured Others, against the backdrop of the protests that have taken place in the country since the beginning of this month, are calling for a reduction in the price of fuel.
And through the hashtags #dignity_strike and #retribution_from_the_vandals, Jordanian views on these demonstrations varied between support, condemnation and warning.
What are the dimensions of the crisis and how did the pioneers of social networking sites in the country interact with it?
How did the crisis start?
In recent years, the Jordanian street has been the scene of many protests, most of which concerned the prices of petroleum derivatives, which have risen by around 16 times in two years.
In November In the past, the Petroleum Derivatives Pricing Committee in Jordan raised prices by 40-46%, as the price of a liter of diesel reached 895 fils ($1.26) in December. Current vs. 615 Files ($0.87) In the same month of 2021 .
The move angered Jordanian MPs, who accused the government of failing to take care of citizens’ basic needs, which prompted Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh to break his silence and say that the public treasury of the state ‘You don’t have the luxury of fuel subsidies, like you did last year ‘.
However, the increase in fuel prices this time seemed harsh to a large segment of middle incomes, so a number of truck drivers decided to organize repeated strikes, then the owners of taxis and public buses joined them.
The strike has spread to several shops which have closed their doors in solidarity with the protest of truck drivers in governorates such as Ma’an, Karak and Madaba. They are governorates located south of the capital, Amman.
How is it reflected on social media?
In recent days, activists on social media have circulated images and videos that reflect the scale of the strikes, and a group of hashtags have spread that indicate the escalation of the situation in Jordan, the most important of which are “#civil_disobedience”,” # dignity_strike”.
One of the circulating clips showed many truckers gathering on the streets and their refusal to transfer the goods.
However, the strike has resulted in a state of complete paralysis and the accumulation of goods, especially in the main port of Aqaba on the Red Sea.
As a result, supplies of essential goods to the markets have been disrupted, according to media professionals and Twitter users.
And with the hashtag “#public_transport strike”, the tweeters expressed their solidarity with the truckers and issued “tribal and union statements” agitating for an escalation if the government did not respond to their requests.
However, others denounced those strikes and warned of an escalation of the situation, especially after issues to close main roads with burning tires developed on Thursday.
Things soon escalated into riots and clashes with police in many areas, resulting in the death of one officer and the injury of others.
Jordanian authorities announced the death of Ma’an Governorate deputy police chief, Abd al-Razzaq al-Dalabih, after being shot dead, adding that he was dealing with riots carried out by “a group of vandals and outlaws ”.
Pain for the killing of Dalabeh
The killing of the policeman sparked widespread public and governmental anger, as many media professionals, citizens and politicians mourned him from across the street. social media.
Despite the divergent positions of Jordanian commentators on the strikes, they were unanimous in condemning the violence and underlining their rejection and denunciation of any act outside the law.
The reactions were not limited to popular circles, but included members of the Bani Hassan clan, the tribe to which the murdered policeman belonged.
The tribe had gathered earlier Friday ‘Not to receive any official body representing the government, until the identity of the killer is known ‘According to Jordanian private site Roya TV.
The apparent change over the course of the recent protests also required timely intervention by the Jordanian Royal Court.
While expressing his condolences for the death of the police chief of Ma’an, the king of Jordan, Abdullah, presented himself in military uniform, threatening “anyone who takes up arms against the state and assaults its public property”.
“turning point”
These developments and statements have sparked different readings.
Commentators see Dalabeh’s killing as a “turning point” in the course of protests in the country.
Those following the Jordanian affair will note that the kingdom has seen many strikes and demonstrations over the years, but “most have confined themselves to limited slogans and sit-ins and have not gone so far as to close major highways or use weapons,” according to commentators.
While some are sounding the alarm and calling for urgent government intervention, accusing external parties of fueling the situation, others describe the protests as “an internal problem that has arisen as a result of the government’s contempt for citizens’ demands”.
As for the Jordanian government, he announced it would take tough measures and deploy more riot police to “deal with those who want to drag the country into bloody riots.”
“Blocking Tik Tok” between ridicule and support
In an effort to contain the crisis, the Jordanian Public Security Directorate’s Electronic Crime Unit has announced the temporary suspension of the “Tik Tok” application due to its “misuse”. Management said the platform did not engage in posts inciting violence and allowed the promotion of videos from outside Jordan to influence citizens’ feelings. .
As a result, tweeters were divided between one supporter of the lockdown decision and another making fun of the government.
Those who opposed the decision saw it as evidence of the continuation of the “blackout mentality”. Some have called for the government of Bishr al-Khasawneh to be ousted, accusing it of trying to silence mouths.
Others, on the other hand, defended the decision to block the TikTok application and considered it a good solution to “preserve civil peace”.
Others have also praised the decisions the government has made to meet some of the truck owners’ demands. On Wednesday, the government pledged to increase aid amounts and defer payment of loans owed by truck owners.
However, those promises, which were cheered by some, were seen by others as “merely insufficient sedatives and an attempt to circumvent protesters’ basic demands for lower fuel prices.”
Jordan suffers from difficult economic conditions, exacerbated by foreign debts of more than fifty billion dollars and the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been exacerbated by the Russian war against Ukraine and by the increase in oil prices.
