Hundreds of Jordanians have taken to the streets in the capital, Amman, and other areas to demonstrate against government measures to raise prices and taxes.
Nearly 1,500 protesters staged a rally against recent economic measures and price hikes in the capital after Friday prayers.
During the protest, which was organized by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, the demonstrators also chanted slogans, calling for the ouster of the cabinet. They carried banners that read, "Raising prices is playing with fire."
"The government that raises prices must fall, the government that impoverishes people must go," some protesters chanted.
Earlier this month, the government imposed new taxes on bread, soft drinks, cigarettes, internet and mobile use as well as domestic fuel and petrol. Passport renewal fees and prices on imported commodities were also increased.
The decision comes as Amman tries to narrow the country's budget deficit, and raise 450 million Jordanian dinars (about $635 million) after it struck an agreement with the International Monetary Fund in July 2016.
However, protesters slammed the government’s economic policies, saying they were only making people poorer.
"These economic policies, and not just the recent decision to raise prices, the ongoing policies undertaken by government after government, only result in making Jordanians hungrier. These economic policies must stop and be changed," said Ali Abu Sukkar, the deputy head of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Hind Fayez, a former member of parliament, urged the government to find solutions other than continuing to impose new taxes.
"When these governments want to solve the economic problems and the budget deficit, which has reached 26 billion (Jordanian dinars), unfortunately their only solution is to encroach on the pockets of the citizens," Fayez said.
The northwestern city of Salt, as well as the regions of Karak and Madaba, south of the capital, also saw similar demonstrations on Friday.
