Attempts to appease protesters in Jordan appeared to have failed as protests continued across the country through Friday night and into Saturday.

Hundreds protested in the capital Amman on Saturday and more took to the streets in other Jordanian cities, despite King Abdullah II ordering a freeze on controversial fuel and electricity price increases.

Some demonstrators blocked roads with their cars on Friday night, while others held signs reading: "The people of Jordan will not kneel."

Late on Friday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the prime minister's office calling for the fall of the government.

The rare protests have been growing since Wednesday, when thousands joined a general strike called by trade unions to oppose a proposed income tax law that would see a greater number of Jordanians taxed and businesses also paying more.

The anger was compounded on Thursday when the government announced an increase in fuel and electricity prices.

King Abdullah attempted to allay fears on Friday by freezing the price rises, while Jordanian lawmakers announced that the majority of them planned to vote against the new tax law.

The law is the latest in a series of economic reforms since Amman secured a $723m, three-year credit line from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

The loan, intended to support economic and financial reforms, has the long-term objective of reducing Jordan's public debt from about 94 percent of GDP to 77 percent by 2021.

Past price hikes have triggered riots in Jordan, a country of 9.5 million with few resources, burdened by poverty and unemployment.

Mohammad Ayesh, a journalist and political analyst, told Middle East Eye: "The real problem is the Saudi aid that has stopped in recent years, and Jordan depends on foreign aid as the main source for the economy."

Syrian refugees living in Jordan have also been a burden on the government's finances, he said. There are just over 655,000 registered Syrian refugees in the country.

"These protests could be planned messages from Jordan to outside countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE," Ayesh said. "The main message would be: we have an internal crisis and we need direct aid to save the stability of the country."

Some analysts believe Jordan's stance over Jerusalem has been a source of tension with Saudi Arabia, which has increasingly towed Washington’s line.

US President Donald Trump's decision in December to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel drew street protests in Jordan. Soon after, sources told MEE, Saudi Arabia summoned King Abdullah to Riyadh and told him not to attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in which Jerusalem would be discussed.

Abdullah attended anyway and made his position public: "I repeat: Jerusalem is our red line ... We will never give up on our demand for a sovereign and independent Palestine. We cannot be spectators in this situation because it impacts all our futures."

In February, while speaking to university students in Amman, the king drew a direct connection between the kingdom's stance on Jerusalem and its economic woes.

"The economic situation and the pressure on us is because of our political stances," he said. "There were messages [saying], 'Go along with us regarding Jerusalem and we will ease it on you.'"</s>About 3,000 demonstrate near PM’s office in Amman as others march in cities across country

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Fresh protests have taken place in cities across Jordan against IMF-backed austerity measures including a new income tax draft law and price hikes, hours after the government and unions failed to reach an agreement to end the standoff.



About 3,000 people faced down a heavy security presence to gather near the prime minister’s office in central Amman until the early hours of Sunday morning, waving Jordanian flags and signs reading “we will not kneel”.

Protests have been happening in the country since Wednesday, when hundreds of people filled the streets of Amman and there were demonstrations in other cities to demand the fall of the government.

Can Jordan get a million Syrians into work? Read more

Last week the government proposed a law, yet to be approved by parliament, aimed at increasing taxes on employees by at least 5% and on companies by between 20% and 40%. It is the latest in a series of economic measures, along with repeated price hikes on basic goods, since Amman secured a $723m (£542m) three-year credit line from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

The Economist Intelligence Unit this year ranked Jordan’s capital as one of the most expensive in the Arab world. Since January, Jordanians have faced repeated price rises including on bread, as well as tax hikes on basic goods.

Overnight, protesters outside the officer of the premier, Hani al-Mulki, shouted slogans including “the ones raising prices want to burn the country” and “this Jordan is our Jordan, Mulki should leave”.

On Saturday the prime minister met trade union representatives who demanded the income tax law be revoked, but they failed to reach an agreement.

The head of Jordan’s federation of unions, Ali Obus, demanded that the state “maintain its independence and not bow to IMF demands”.

King Abdullah II called on parliament to lead a “comprehensive and reasonable national dialogue” on the new tax law. “It would not be fair that the citizen alone bears the burden of financial reforms,” he told officials on Saturday evening.

A majority of 78 out of parliament’s 130 representatives have pledged to vote against the income tax law introduced by the government last month. The speaker of Jordan’s senate called a consultative meeting for Sunday.

Mulki told reporters on Saturday that meetings would continue, adding: “Sending this bill to the house of representatives does not mean that the house of representatives will approve it.”</s>AMMAN : Jordan's King Abdullah II ordered the government on Friday to freeze new price hikes on fuel and electricity, officials said, after angry protests across the cash-strapped country.

Past price hikes have triggered riots in Jordan, a country of 9.5 million with few resources, burdened by poverty and unemployment.

Late Thursday and early Friday, hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated in Amman and other cities, calling for the "fall of the government" as they blocked roads with cars and blazing tyres.

That came after the government decreed rises of up to 5.5 percent on fuels and a 19 percent hike in electricity prices, as well as laying out plans for a new income tax. But early Friday, the king ordered the government to shelve hikes set to take effect that day as the country's Muslim majority observe the holy month of Ramadan, official Petra news agency said. Price have steadily risen in Jordan over recent years as the cash-strapped government pushes reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund.

The country has a public debt of some $35 billion (30 billion euros), equivalent to 90 percent of its gross domestic product.

In 2016, it secured a $723-million three-year credit line from the IMF to support economic and financial reforms and was told it must drop subsidies and raise taxes to meet conditions for future loans.

Earlier this year, Jordan as much as doubled bread prices after dropping subsidies on the staple, as well as hiking value-added taxes on several goods including cigarettes.

The price of fuel has risen on five occasions since the beginning of the year, while electricity bills have shot up 55 percent since February.

According to official estimates, 18.5 percent of the population is unemployed, while 20 percent are on the brink of poverty.

More than 1,000 demonstrators rallied outside the prime minister's office in central Amman late Thursday, chanting: "The people want the government to fall".

In the northern cities of Irbid and Ajlun, some protesters cut off roads with burning tyres, while in the Tabarbur suburb of Amman motorists blocked roads with their cars.</s>The King of Jordan on Friday ordered the government to cancel a planned fuel price hike after protests against the measure, the official Petra news agency reported.

The fuel price hikes, which ranged between 4.8 percent and 5.5 percent, were in response to the sharp increases in oil prices world-wide and are scheduled to come into force on Friday.</s>AMMAN, Jordan — Hundreds of Jordanians have protested against government-ordered price and tax increases, scuffling with police outside the prime minister’s office.

Demonstrators chanted “the people want to topple the government” late Friday as helmeted police pushed them away from the building.

It was the latest in a series of protests against austerity measures sought by international lenders as Jordan tries to reduce rising public debt. Jordan’s economy has been struggling because of the fallout from regional conflicts.

Friday’s protesters called on Jordan’s King Abdullah II to dissolve the government and reverse its decisions. Earlier this week, the monarch temporarily suspended fuel price increases in the face of protests.

Jordan is a key U.S. ally in the region, and any signs of instability in the kingdom are viewed with concern by the West.</s>AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that has sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.



The dismissal of Mulki was demanded in a series of protests against IMF-backed tax increases that have shaken the kingdom. The sources said King Abdullah had ordered Mulki for an audience in his palace later on Monday.





Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil.Public anger over IMF-driven government policies has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, a staple item for the poor. The increases have caused Mulki's popularity to plummet.Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and in main provincial towns on Sunday in an extension of protests that began last Wednesday.The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.Witnesses said demonstrators who converged near the Cabinet office said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month, which critics say would worsen living standards.</s>Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.

AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that has sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.

The dismissal of Mulki was demanded in a series of protests against IMF-backed tax increases that have shaken the kingdom. The sources said King Abdullah had ordered Mulki for an audience in his palace later on Monday.

Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil.

Public anger over IMF-driven government policies has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, a staple item for the poor.

The increases have caused Mulki's popularity to plummet.

Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and in main provincial towns on Sunday in an extension of protests that began last Wednesday.

The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.

Witnesses said demonstrators who converged near the Cabinet office said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month, which critics say would worsen living standards.

"The government has made us penniless ... they have left us with no more money in our pockets," chanted protesters.

Unions representing tens of thousands of employees in both the public and private sectors have also called for a general strike on Wednesday after their demands for the bill to be scrapped were rejected by the government.

The government says it needs more funds for public services and argues that tax changes reduce social disparities by placing a heavier burden on high earners and leaving lower-paid state workers relatively unscathed

Jordan's economy has struggled to grow in the past few years in the face of chronic deficits as private foreign capital and aid flows have declined.

Politicians and economists say the tough IMF-imposed fiscal consolidation plan has worsened the plight of poorer Jordanian and squeezed the middle class.

Protesters have also slammed politicians for squandering public funds and corruption.

"Our demands are legitimate. No, no to corruption," chanted the demonstrators urging King Abdullah, who is seen as a unifying force, to intervene and crack down on official graft.</s>Hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated in the capital Amman for a third consecutive day on Saturday against price hikes and an income tax draft law driven by IMF recommendations to slash its public debt.

Protests have gripped the country since Wednesday, when hundreds flooded the streets of Amman and demonstrated in other cities to demand the fall of the government.

Last week the government adopted an income tax draft law, yet to be approved by parliament, aimed at increasing taxes on employees by at least 5% and on companies by between 20 and 40 percent.

It is the latest in a series of economic reforms since Amman secured a $723-million three-year credit line from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

The loan, intended to support economic and financial reforms, has the long term objective of reducing Jordan's public debt from about 94 percent of GDP to 77 percent by 2021.

"This will be accomplished through reforms to bolster economic growth and gradual fiscal consolidation," the IMF says on its website.

Prices have steadily risen in recent years in Jordan, a country of 9.5 million which is burdened by poverty and unemployment.

On Thursday, the government announced it would raise fuel and electricity prices from Friday, sparking protests across the country. It later froze the move under orders from King Abdullah II.

But Friday night, hundreds of protesters were back on the streets outside the prime minister's office in Amman in demonstrations called by trade unions.

Some demonstrators blocked roads with their cars, while others held signs reading: "The people of Jordan will not kneel."

Protests were also held in several other cities, including Irbid and Jarash in the north, Zarqa in the east, and the southern city of Maan, which was rocked by deadly riots in the late 1980s over rising food prices.

Police said some demonstrators overnight "attacked" law enforcement agents and had "tried to attack public and private property".

Under the proposed new law, anyone with an annual income of 8,000 dinars ($11,000) or more would have to pay income tax, while businesses would face steep tax increases. Evaders would be heavily fined.

A majority of deputies -- 78 out of 130 MPs -- issued a statememt Friday saying they would vote against the draft legislation.

They said the income tax law does not serve the economic and social interests of the people.

Trade union representatives met on Saturday with Prime Minister Hani Mulki to demand the bill be revoked, but without any agreement.

The premier told reporters that more meetings would follow, while the head of Jordan's main union, Ali Obus, called for "the state to maintain its independence and not bow to IMF demands".</s>AMMAN: Hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated in the capital Amman for a third consecutive day on Saturday (Jun 2) against price hikes and an income tax draft law driven by IMF recommendations to slash its public debt.

Protests have gripped the country since Wednesday, when hundreds flooded the streets of Amman and demonstrated in other cities at the call of trade unions, to demand the fall of the government.

Last week the government adopted an income tax draft law, yet to be approved by parliament, aimed at widening the country's tax base and reaping 300 million dinars (US$420 million) for the treasury each year.

It is the latest in a series of economic reforms since Amman secured a US$723-million three-year credit line from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

The loan, intended to support economic and financial reforms, has the long term objective of reducing Jordan's public debt from about 94 percent of GDP to 77 per cent by 2021.

"This will be accomplished through reforms to bolster economic growth and gradual fiscal consolidation," the IMF says on its website.

Prices have steadily risen in recent years in Jordan, a country of 9.5 million which is burdered by poverty and unemployment, since January.

On Thursday, the government announced it would raise fuel and electricity prices from Friday, sparking protests across the country. It later froze its decision under orders from King Abdullah II.

But Friday night, hundreds of protesters were back on the streets outside the prime minister's office in Amman, calling for the government to fall, AFP reporters said.

Some demonstrators blocked roads with their cars, while others held signs reading: "The people of Jordan will not kneel".

Protests hit in several other cities, including Irbid and Jarash in the north, Zarqa in the east, and the southern city of Maan, which was rocked by deadly riots in the late 1980s over rising food prices.

Police said some demonstrators overnight "attacked" law enforcement agents and "tried to attack public and private property".

They warned they would resort to force if necessary.

Under the proposed new law, anyone with an annual income of 8,000 dinars or above would have to pay income tax, while businesses would face steep tax increases. Evaders would be heavily fined.

A majority of deputies - 78 out of 130 MPs - issued a statement on Friday saying they would vote against the draft legislation.

They said the income tax law does not serve the economic and social interests of the people.

Trade union representatives were due to meet on Saturday with Prime Minister Hani Mulki to demand that he revoke the bill or face further protests, said the president of the country's trade union federation, Ali Obus.</s>Protests in Jordan against tax rises and austerity measures - the biggest demonstrations in years - continued for a third consecutive night on Saturday.

Police fired tear gas and blocked roads in the capital Amman to stop protesters getting close to the cabinet office.

The protesters say a new tax bill backed by the International Monetary Fund will hurt the poor and middle class.

King Abdullah has called for compromise from all sides. Several thousand protesters chanting anti-government slogans and calling for King Abdullah to dismiss Prime Minister Hani Mulki have been holding vigils near the cabinet office.

Jordanians have seen prices rise with salaries failing to keep up. On Friday King Abdullah intervened to freeze an increase in fuel prices.

But the protesters are angriest about the proposed tax bill, which they fear will further worsen living standards.

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Thousands protest in Amman and other Jordanian cities, despite King Abdullah II ordering a freeze on controversial fuel and electricity price increases.