REPORT: Jordanian musicians find the right note to snub IMF reforms

In the midst of a crowded protest in Amman, a group of Jordanians took out their guitars, violins and drums and broke into song in the early hours of Monday.
The musicians said they wanted to help the demonstrators, who are gathered in opposition to an IMF-backed tax reform bill, get their message across.

For musician Atef Malhas, music not only helps spread awareness, but is also a way to help people express themselves.

“We hear what people want to say and help them put it into song,” he said.  

The artists sang to encourage protesters and reject the policies of the government.

“This is our right, it is a natural right for every human being who feels suppressed to resist in anyway, and this is our way, we are trying no more, no less,” said musician Sahar Khalifeh.

Later in the day, Prime Minster Hani Mulki resigned in a meeting with King Abdullah on Monday, an official source told Reuters.

Public anger over IMF-driven government policies has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, a staple item for the poor.

Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and in main provincial towns on Sunday in an extension of protests that began last Wednesday.


REUTERS