Jordan government vows stricter security measures after officer killed during protests

Jordanian officials on Friday condemned the killing of a senior security official, vowing to punish the perpetrators and enforce strict security measures in areas affected by protests.

Colonel Abdul Razzaq al-Dalabih, the Deputy Police Chief in Maan, was killed by a bullet to the head during protests in the southern province on Thursday night.

"The crime will not go without punishment, we are searching for those responsible," Jordanian Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

The minister said that peaceful protests had been "exploited" by individuals for the purposes of violence and damaging private and public property.

"Strict security procedures” will be put in place in areas where protests are happening, he added.

On Friday afternoon, the cybercrime unit announced that it had temporarily suspended access to TikTok, where many users were sharing information and videos of protests.

Truckers' strike and austerity measures

The killing of al-Dalabih occurred after two weeks of protests over the high price of fuel and difficult economic conditions in Jordan.

Protests started with a general strike of truck drivers across the country to protest rising fuel prices and the removal of subsidies on basic goods.

Drivers refused to work, and in some cases blocked roads, until their demands were met.

"We can no longer afford things. The money is not covering the cost of fuel. There is no movement from the ministry of transportation to solve this problem," Abu Naji, a striking truck driver, said in the southern city of Madaba.

Shops, mostly in Jordan's rural south, have closed in solidarity with the truck drivers.

According to Jordan and Amman’s Chamber of Commerce on 14 December, about 1,200 containers are stuck in Jordan’s Aqaba port in the south and many factories have stopped production due to the strike.

"The continuation of the strike and interruptions to the local supply chain will be a disaster for the national economy," Fathi al-Jaghbir, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, said.

Analysts have said that at the root of social unrest is government austerity, a combination of heavy taxation and the removal of social protections.

"In general, unprecedented price increases have affected several sectors. The response of the government is as if they don't understand the suffering of the people," Ahmad Awad, the founder of Amman-based Phenix Center for Economic and Informatic Studies, told The New Arab.

The government has claimed that it has been in constant dialogue with striking truckers and that some want to resume work, but that they were attacked by other striking individuals.

It has also been said that lifting subsidies is part of the conditions for an IMF reform programme through which Jordan receives international financing.

"Fuel is not just so expensive because the government is lifting subsidies. The government also imposes taxes on fuel consumption, ranging from 16 to 55 percent depending on the type of fuel," Awad said.

"The IMF gives lip service to inclusive economic growth, but in reality, its policies haven’t changed. There is pressure on living conditions and pressure for governments to increase their taxes."

Protests in Jordan happen sporadically and are increasingly centered on economic grievances. Officially, about a quarter of the labour force is unemployed – though figures are much higher for youth and women.

Authorities have responded to protests heavy-handedly, often detaining protesters before releasing them on bail.

Human Rights Watch in September warned that civic space in Jordan is increasingly shrinking and has urged authorities to loosen its grip on civil society and allow unhindered freedom of assembly.