The security services arrested dozens of teachers who tried to sit-in near the fourth circle near the Prime Minister building for several hours, and forcefully dispersed gatherings of protesters who moved to carry out separate sit-ins in the Shmeisani area and the Fifth Circle and Abdoun in the Jordanian capital Amman.
The teachers had called for a sit-in in front of the Prime Minister today, Wednesday, to protest against the measures taken against their union and the arrest of members of the Syndicate Council, but the security forces closed the fourth circle and prevented them from reaching the sit-in area.
We are warm, not a slave # with_master pic.twitter.com/vpYDVugEv8
- D. Wahid Khatatneh (@ wahidrk2) July 29, 2020
A hunger strike
The families of the arrested teachers ’union council members stated that the members of the teachers’ union announced that they had entered a hunger strike to protest against the official measures against them, and demanded the immediate release of them.
The family of the media spokesperson of the arrested syndicate, Noureddine Nadim, confirmed to Al-Jazeera Net that he was transferred to the hospital yesterday after his health deteriorated as a result of the hunger strike.
The Council of Professional Syndicates met with Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Al-Razzaz, in mediation between teachers and the government. After the meeting, the captains contented themselves with expressing their solidarity with the Council of Teachers Syndicate, without reaching any solutions.
While the government is stricter in requiring teachers to provide real guarantees that the educational process will proceed early September, without teachers returning to strike.
The Ministry of Interior anticipated the sit-in of teachers by issuing directives to administrative rulers and public security on the need to adhere to the application of defense orders issued by the Prime Minister, especially those related to preventing gatherings in all regions of the Kingdom, to prevent corona virus.
A source in the Ministry of Interior stated that the most severe legal measures will be taken against violators, and transfer them to the competent judicial authorities to conduct the legal and administrative requirement against them.
Now close to the fifth circle .. # with_teacher pic.twitter.com/kvPVHecrwc
- Hadeel Seddiq Hadeel Seddik (@Hadeelhajmohd) July 29, 2020
Crisis, not crisis, of
the tense relationship crisis and the state of mutual escalation between the Jordanian authorities and the Teachers Syndicate, coincided with economic and living crises affecting the Jordanian economy and citizen due to the spread of the Corona epidemic.
Economic crises pushed the private sector to lay off thousands of employees, where about 150,000 workers joined the ranks of the unemployed after they were laid off from their jobs, and companies and commercial institutions announced the closure of their doors.
"The government's escalation against the teachers' demands is unjustified, especially since they are demanding living demands and not political opponents," said political analyst Hassan al-Barari.
He continued in his talk to Al-Jazeera Net, "It was the first of the government that the teachers union council discussed to search for solutions on the terms of the agreement signed last year between them instead of escalation, as if the government had revenge on the teachers, and unfortunately we reached a stage of bone fracture between the government and the teachers union, and the language of reason was absent from the procedures Official. "
Al-Barari added, "The government, after its patience with its actions against Corona and enduring more than it can, rewards it with a campaign to pressure freedom of expression, the arrest of activists and the transfer of journalists and activists to the courts, which increases crises and threatens to explode in the face of the government."
Because it is my honor from the honor of my teacher who taught me, I am # with_master pic.twitter.com/7Dh9TI1U0T
- Samer Atiani (@SamerAtiani) July 29, 2020
The Jordanian Minister of Education, Tayseer Al-Nuaimi, presented an explanation of Jordanian public opinion at a press conference yesterday in which he confirmed that the government did not shirk from implementing any of the provisions of the agreement that it signed with the Teachers Union, after the strike carried out by the last beginning of the academic year 2020/2019, and all these items were implemented With the exception of one provision for his need for a legislative course.
Al-Naimi continued, "The Ministry adopted the dialogue as a way and approach in its dealings with the suspended union council, its work to serve our teachers, students, and our community, through the meetings that took place with the council or through the joint committee meetings between the two sides." He accused the union council of continuing to dictate and reject without offering The Ministry has any constructive proposals.
Broad interaction
Today's events and the forceful dispersal of the security forces for the sit-in of teachers received wide reactions in the Jordanian street and on social media platforms, especially with the # tagging with the teacher.
Jordanian sit-in activist Sultan Al-Ajlouni said in a tweet: “The sit-in succeeded before it started: the size of the incitement, militarization, militarization, oppression and breaking taboos with the arrest of teachers and women are all indicators of success for the people and failure of the government.
The sit-in succeeded before it started: the size of the incitement, militarization, militarism, repression and breaking taboos by arresting teachers and women are all indicators of success for the people and a failure of the government.
The failed team and the corrupt approach have left… #with_teacher
- Sultan Al-Ajlouni # with_Teacher (@AjloniSultan) July 29, 2020
While Hala Ahed tweeted, "I would have liked the government to learn - at least - one lesson; that demonization is not the best way to win the street. Today, it is necessary to reverse the illegal decisions that were taken against the teachers union, and to release the detainees from members of the parliament and teachers."
For her part, Rawan Rabihat said in a tweet to her on Twitter, "On the same day that parliamentary elections are announced, security forces will deploy all of their devices on the street and arrest teachers before they even pretend this. By God, it is not disdain for people and people, but it is despising and deserving of us all."