In an act of civil disobedience, local businesses in Petra have been closed since last week, adding to protests that occurred earlier this week.
Residents in Petra are protesting the Jordanian government’s failure to refund post-dated checks from the recently banned sale of cars in showrooms, a practice that has been going on for years, but has became more pronounced in the past year.
Before the restriction, locals sold their cars in showrooms at a higher value than their original cost and buyers would pay for these cars with a post-dated check. However, in June of this year, the Jordanian government banned these exchanges, asserting that they were illegitimate and could lead to future complications.
The government has since frozen the accounts of those involved and seized checks written after the ban was imposed, angering locals who demand that either the checks be released to those who sold their cars or at least buyers be compelled to return the cars that have not been paid for due to the confiscation of the checks.
This is not the first time that locals have joined in civil disobedience against the Jordanian government. Following the ban in June, residents of Petra responded immediately in protest.
As one of the seven wonders of the world, it is uncertain how this action will affect the town. While tourism makes up a significant part of the economy, locals are genuinely angry with the government’s refusal to unfreeze accounts and release the checks. Government officials have since tried to meet with leaders of the protests, however, they were not able to resolve the disagreement.
