Activists rally at Fourth Circle, demand better living conditions

AMMAN — Protesters staged another sit-in on Friday at the Fourth Circle, near the Prime Ministry, demanding deep changes to economic policies and combating corruption, among others.

Protesters also chanted slogans calling for the dissolution of Parliament, the resignation of the government, in addition to withdrawing the 2018 income tax and cybercrime draft laws.  

Despite heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday, hundreds of protesters gathered in a yard near the Prime Ministry on the Fourth Circle, under the “Maanash” (“we don’t have any” in Arabic) banner.

Maanash was launched by a group of activists late in May, and was said to be the driving force behind the nationwide protests in June that led to the resignation of the government of former prime minister Hani Mulki.   

Thursday's and Friday's protests saw the participation of activists from other governorates, who chanted slogans calling for economic sovereignty and the abolishment of the International Monetary Fund-backed amendments to the Income Tax Law. 

Protesters also called for a general pardon law. 

Meanwhile, the government reiterated its respect for the constitutional right to freedom of expression as long as it is peaceful, stressing at the same time its commitment to protecting public and private properties.

In a statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the government said that the right to protest and demonstration does not mean violating the law and disrupting people's businesses or damaging public or private property.