Jordan bans TikTok after police killed in clash with protesters

• The duration of the ban is unknown.
• truck drivers went on strike to protest the high cost of fuel.
• Internet service was also down in Maan and Karak.

Last week, truck drivers went on strike to protest the high cost of fuel in the Arab kingdom. Several cities in Jordan are now taking part in the strike and protests. Thursday, fights broke out in several cities, and police used tear gas to break them up.

There were a lot of videos of the strike and protests. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said Friday that it was shutting down the popular short-form video app TikTok “after it was abused and no action was taken against publications that incited violence and disorder.”

Internet service was also down in Maan and Karak, which is where the police officer was killed. Both have had protests against price increases for gas.

Truck drivers were still on strike on Friday, but the protests have died down.

At the same time, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he would “deal firmly” with criminals. In a statement put out by the Royal Court, he said, “We will not stand for violence against our security staff, who work day and night to protect Jordan and Jordanians.”

The king spoke during a visit to the family of Abdul Razzaq Abdel Hafez Al Dalabeh, who was shot and killed Thursday in the city of Maan. He was the deputy police director there.

Jordan is a close ally of the West and has been seen for a long time as an island of calm in a troubled area.

No one from the government said how long the ban would be in place.

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