AMMAN — The government has dealt with the transport strike
"wisely and responsibly" since it started, said Minister of Interior
Mazen Faraya during a press conference on Friday.
Over the last week, tensions have mounted in the south as truck
drivers launched strikes protesting increasing fuel prices. Taxi drivers and
rideshare app drivers soon followed, sharing the demand.
During a protest Thursday, Col. Abdul-Razzaq Al-Dalabeh was
fatally shot while officers tried to "calm down riots" in the
southern town of Husseiniya, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) said in a
statement.
اضافة اعلان
Faraya emphasized that His Majesty King Abdullah feels "very
angry" regarding the killing of Dalabeh, adding that security services are
diligently working to apprehend the perpetrator and bring him to justice.
"The murder will not go unpunished, and today is not like
yesterday," said Faraya. "I ask citizens to stay away from areas that
witness violence."
"We do not live on a remote island, and we are not strangers
to society. We are aware of the difficulties that everyone is facing,"
said Faraya. "Violence does not help overcome any difficulties faced by
society."
Since the start of the strikes, the government has promised to
study protestors' demands. They said that they have already paid over JD500
million to cap fuel price hikes this year and cannot spend more to subsidize
prices because of IMF-imposed limits.
Acknowledging the difficult economic situation, Faraya said,
"we hope to reduce prices next month".
Faraya added that the government is committed to respecting
freedom of expression.
During the press conference, Director of the Public Security
Obaidullah Al-Maaytah added that the protests blocked roads and damaged public
property.
Seventy public security vehicles and 98 private vehicles were
damaged, he added.
Read more National news
Jordan News