Jordanian teachers demanding wage increases clash with police

Thousands of Jordanian teachers have held a protest demanding higher wages, with some scuffling with security forces.

Organizers of Thursday’s demonstration in the capital, Amman, say the government has yet to deliver on a 50% wage increase agreed upon in 2014.

Security forces blocked roads and prevented the protesters from reaching the prime minister’s office. The teachers gathered in different areas, chanting anti-government slogans and calling for an open-ended sit-in.

Jordanian teachers clash with security forces during a protest in the capital Amman on September 5, 2019. (Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP)

Organizers had called on teachers in other cities to protest at their schools if security forces prevented them from traveling to Amman.

The government says it is committed to dialogue with the teachers but that classes should not be interrupted and performance must improve. The Education Ministry says a 50% salary increase would cost nearly $160 million per year.

— AP