Gov’t has dealt with transport strike ‘wisely’, says interior minister

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.

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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.

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