Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Hundreds of protesters took to the streets across Jordan on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of violent riots over a government decision to lift fuel subsidies, reiterating calls for wider economic and political reforms.

The riots left three citizens dead and caused thousands of dinars in damage to public and private property.

In a rally led by the Muslim Brotherhood, some 300 activists gathered in downtown Amman to mark the anniversary and protest against ongoing government austerity measures.

Participants called on the government to curb rising prices of basic commodities and to lower fuel prices, which they claim hover above international rates, chanting “Hunger is our red line.”

Protesters also marked the so-called “Rabia massacre” in Egypt earlier this year, during which dozens of Islamist supporters were allegedly killed in clashes with security forces at the Rabiaa Al Adawiya Square in Cairo.

Meanwhile, dozens of leftist and independent activists took to the streets in Irbid, Karak and Tafileh to call on the government to lower fuel prices and warn against “crossing the red line” by imposing any new increases on electricity rates.

During the rallies, led by popular movements, participants called for the resignation of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, who presided over last year’s decision to lift subsidies, which led to an immediate 33 per cent rise in fuel rates.

Protesters also called for the formation of a “national unity government” and implementing sweeping economic reforms to curtail what they called “government corruption”.

Last November’s decision to lift long-standing fuel subsidies ignited violent protests across Jordan that resulted in over 200 arrests, 70 injuries and the death of one civilian and two police officers.

At the time, the government defended the measure, which led to the slashing of over JD800 million in subsidies and steered the country away from what it warned was a looming “financial crisis”.

*JORDAN TIMES