BUDAPEST: Hundreds of Jordanians took to the streets in protest on Friday, as calls to sack the government grew ever louder in response to a decision to hike the prices of some basic commodities.
People demonstrated in the capital, Amman, in marches led by leftist parties, carrying banners that decried increasing prices and demanded that the “government of poverty” be sacked.
The official Petra news agency reported that protesters also rallied in the cities of Maan, al-Karak and Madaba, all located south of Amman.
Jordanians have been regularly holding protests over the past month, since the government announced it was lifting bread subsidies and increasing taxes on some foodstuffs in a bid to decrease the budget deficit.
The economy of Jordan, a country of 10 million that depends largely on aid, has been affected by an influx of refugees in recent years due to neighbouring conflicts, as unemployment reached 18.5 per cent.
