2011 Jordanian protests

Jordanian protests (2011-12)
Part of the Arab Spring
A mass protest in Amman, Jordan, November 2012, over price hikes
Date	14 January 2011 (2011-01-14)–2012
Location	Jordan
Causes	Corruption Internet censorship Inflation Low salaries Unemployment Regressive taxes Inspiration from concurrent regional protests
Goals	Constitutional monarchy Electoral reform End to corruption Political freedom
Methods	Demonstrations Strike action Riots Sit-ins Self-immolation Online activism Civil disobedience Civil resistance
Status	On February 2011, King Abdullah II dismisses Prime Minister Rifai and his cabinet On October 2011, Abdullah dismisses Prime Minister Bakhit and his cabinet after complaints of slow progress on promised reforms On April 2012, as the protests continues, Al-Khasawneh resigned, and the King appoints Fayez al-Tarawneh as the new Prime Minister of Jordan On October 2012, King Abdullah dissolves the parliament for new early elections, and appoints Abdullah Ensour as the new Prime Minister of Jordan
Parties to the civil conflict
Jordanian opposition parties  • Muslim Brotherhood  • Leftist parties  • Trade unions Government of Jordan and supporters
Lead figures
• Retired General Ali Habashnah  • King Abdullah II  • Prime Minister Samir Rifai
Number
• Protesters: 6,000–10,000
Casualties
1 dead 70 injured 2 dead and 13 police injured

Jordanian opposition parties
 • Muslim Brotherhood
 • Leftist parties

The Jordanian protests is a series of protests in Jordan that began on January 2011, and resulted in the firing of the cabinet ministers of the government. In its early phase, protests in Jordan were initially against unemployment, inflation,corruption. along with demanding for real constitutional monarchy and electoral reforms.

Food inflation and salaries were a cause for resentment in the country. The 2010-2011 Tunisian Revolution and the 2011 Egyptian Revolution also raised hopes for political change in the region. Together with unrest elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, including the disturbances in Syria and Yemen, they were part of the Arab Spring.

Jordan's economy continues to struggle, weighed down by a record deficit of $2 billion this year. Inflation in Jordan has risen by 1.5% to 6.1% in December 2010, and unemployment and poverty have become rampant, estimated at 12% and 25% respectively. The government is also accused of impoverishing the working class with regressive tax codes which forced the poor to pay a higher proportion of their income as tax. The parliament is accused of serving as a "rubber stamp" to the executive branch.

Jordan has a history of persecuting activists and journalists. The country amended its penal code in August 2010 and passed a Law of Information System Crimes, to regulate the Internet. Revised laws continue to criminalize peaceful expression and extend those provisions to Internet expression. Jordanian authorities prosecuted peaceful dissidents and prohibited peaceful gatherings to protest government policies. Dissidents confined by the General Intelligence Department routinely sign confessions. According to a report by Amnesty International, intelligence agents in Jordan frequently use torture to extract confessions from suspects.