Today, Thursday, Jordanians are due to take to the streets again to protest austerity measures and a draft law many fear will impede freedom of expression and silence government critics. Dubbed “The people's Thursday”, the protests, which started 30 November and resumed last Thursday near the cabinet's headquarters, are scheduled to continue against Prime Minister Omar Razzaz and the parliament, which passed a controversial tax law 18 November. Despite the cold and heavy rain, hundreds showed up last Thursday at the site demanding political reform and the release of political detainees. Mobilisation for the event has been evident in social media, with no prodding from political organisations or unions The protests are a resumption of a wave of demonstrations this spring which escalated to roadblocks, burning tyres and strikes. The Hani Al-Mulki cabinet was forced to resign to quell public anger at planned tax laws that would exacerbate austerity measures. Al-Mulki was replaced early June by Minister of Education Omar Razzaz, after mass protests lasting for days in the capital Amman and other Jordanian cities. Al-Mulki had raised the general sales tax and subsidies on bread were scrapped as part of a three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) fiscal plan that aims to cut Jordan's growing debt of $37 billion, equivalent to 95 per cent of gross domestic product. Protests were triggered by a proposed law to levy income tax on Jordanians making $11,000 amid public anger already reeling from price hikes for months. Six months later, the Razzaz government approved with the bill, after increasing the taxable income level to $12,900, among other modifications, as approved by parliament earlier this month. Although officials responded to the renewed protests with a tolerant discourse, approximately 15 people have been arrested. According to Minister of Information Jumana Ghonaimat, Jordanians have the right to protest peacefully, but the government will proceed with its economic reform policy while “popular demands have their constitutional channels through dialogue in parliament”. In defending the new tax law, Prime Minister Razzaz said that if parliament rejected the bill it would risk hurting the debt-laden economy, where annual growth has been stagnant at around two per cent in recent years. Any delay would push even higher the cost of servicing over $1.4 billion of foreign debt due in 2019, raising the prospect of rating agencies downgrading the kingdom's credit ratings, Razzaz said in a recent interview with state television, according to Reuters. “If we don't come with a tax law we will face these dangers. It will cost us dearly,” the premier said. Recent protests have also voiced demands for a constitutional monarchy, which limits the king's powers. Whilst adamant on pursuing economic reform, the government is reconsidering a controversial draft cybercrimes law which protesters say aims at silencing critics. The legislation sent to parliament in September will be resubmitted after the government has engaged with civil society representatives and experts, according to Ghonaimat. Observers say the civil society engagement is an attempt to appease public anger at the new austerity measures. Amnesty International last month said the amendments to the draft cybercrimes law include criminalising hate speech using an overly broad definition of the offence and introducing tougher penalties, including lengthier prison terms for online crimes. “The proposed changes to Jordan's already flawed cybercrimes law are extremely worrying. Instead of taking steps to protect people's rights online the authorities appear to be moving backwards, introducing changes that would further suppress freedom of expression,” said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director. “Jordan's authorities have an appalling track record when it comes to silencing critics both on and offline,” Morayef added. Amendments to Jordan's 2015 cybercrimes law were proposed by the government in 2017. In September 2018, parliament referred the amendments to the parliamentary legal committee for discussion before a vote is scheduled. The draft bill also proposes criminalising the distribution of articles that amount to slander. This would mean that people could be imprisoned simply for sharing on social media an article that is alleged to include slander. But this hasn't stopped Jordanians from resorting to social media to voice dissent. This week, the #peoplesThursday hashtag was trending in Jordan's social media spheres with angry comments from users either lobbying for today's scheduled protests or demanding the resignation of the cabinet. “We are the people, the red line” user “Jordan's Sherlock Holmes” tweeted Monday. “Go, show up at 5pm, support the free people for yourself, your children and your right.”
