Violent protests broke out across Jordan on Tuesday, November 13, after the government announced an increase in fuel prices, inciting what appeared to be an unparalleled show of anger directed at the king after months of mounting tension in the strategically important and politically fragile kingdom, The New York Times reported. Late Tuesday, the government announced a drop in fuel subsidies that would result in increases of 14 percent on prices at the pump and more than 50 percent in gas used for cooking. Demonstrators burned tires, smashed traffic lights and blocked roads in several Jordanian cities. There were calls for a general strike on Wednesday. The eruption comes as King Abdullah has struggled to contain a growing and increasingly diverse opposition by introducing electoral reforms ahead of balloting scheduled for January and by establishing a constitutional court.