Tweet
Originally posted by MSNBC
Gadhafi's Libya faces its 1st Egypt-style protests
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 52 minutes ago
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of
Libya Wednesday in the first sign that the
unrest which toppled governments in
neighboring Tunisia and Egypt has spread to
the North African nation.
Witnesses said protesters in the eastern port
city of Benghazi chanted slogans demanding
the resignation of Prime Minister Baghdadi al-
Mahmoudi.
The Associated Press said that the crowds did
not appear to direct their anger at Moammar
Gadhafi, who is Africa's longest-serving
leader. He has ruled for 41 years.
However, Dubai-based television news service
Al-Jazeera reported that sources said the
demonstrators chanted slogans against the
"corrupt rulers of the country."
Al-Jazeera said the protesters had called on
citizens to observe Thursday as a "Day of
Rage," hoping to emulate the popular uprisings
in Egypt and Tunisia and end Gadhafi's regime.
As in the previous uprisings, Libyan activists
were using social networking websites
including Facebook.
Rioting is unusual in oil exporter Libya, where
Gadhafi keeps a tight grip on political life.
Libya's official news agency did not carry any
word of Wednesday's anti-government
protests.
It reported only that supporters of Gadhafi
were holding pro-government demonstrations
in Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities.
However, the online edition of Libya's
privately-owned Quryna newspaper, which is
based in Benghazi, said the crowd were armed
with Molotov cocktails and threw stones.
'A bad night'
It said they protested outside a local
government office to demand the release of
the human rights activist, and then went to the city's Shajara
square where they clashed with police and
government supporters.
The paper that government supporters had
taken over the square. Fourteen people were
injured including 10 police officers, but none
of the injuries were serious, the newspaper
added.
A Benghazi resident contacted by Reuters said
the people involved in the clashes were
relatives of inmates in Tripoli's Abu Salim jail,
where militant Islamists and government
opponents have traditionally been held.
Some were relatives of inmates killed at the
prison in June 1996, when more than 1,000
prisoners were shot dead.
"Last night was a bad night," said the witness,
who did not want to be identified.
"There were about 500 or 600 people
involved. They went to the revolutionary
committee (local government headquarters) in S
abri district, and they tried to go to the
central revolutionary committee ... They threw
stones," he said. "It is calm now."
Following the rioting, a local human rights
activist, Mohamed Ternish, told Reuters that
the government was to release 110 prisoners
jailed for membership of the banned Libyan
Islamic Fighting Group.
The prisoners are the last members of the
group still being held, he added.
On Monday, several opposition groups in exile
called for the overthrow of Gadhafi and for a
peaceful transition of power in Libya.
"Col. Gadhafi and all his family members
should relinquish powers," the groups said in
a statement.
Idris Al-Mesmari, a Libyan novelist, told Al-
Jazeera by telephone that security officials
dressed as civilians used tear gas, batons and
hot water to disperse the protesters.
The news service added there were
unconfirmed reports that Al-Mesmari was a
rrested hours after the interview.
An Egyptian blogger, Mohammed Maree, told
Al-Jazeera that Gadhafi's government
"continues to treat the Libyan people with lead
and fire."
"This is why we announce our solidarity with
the Libyan people and the families of the
martyrs until the criminals are punished,
starting with Moammar and his family."
Gadhafi came to power 1969 through a
military coup and since then he has been
advertisement
ruling the country with no parliament or
constitution.
Although Gadhafi claims he is only a
revolutionary leader with no official status, he
holds absolute power.
The opposition groups say that in practice he
has direct control of the country's politics and
its military and security forces.
Most analysts say Libya is unlikely to see an
uprising along the lines of Tunisia or Egypt.
The government has huge amounts of oil
cash which it can use to placate unhappy
citizens.
Libyan society and public life is built around
family and tribal ties, so if there is any
challenge to Gadhafi's rule, it is likely to
happen behind the scenes and not in the
streets.
The crucial test for Gadhafi now is whether the
unrest spreads beyond Benghazi to the capital
and the west of the country.
People in Benghazi have a history of
antagonism with Gadhafi. Many of them did
not support him when he came to power in a
military coup in 1969, and since then the
region has been cut out of much of the
largesse handed out by the government from
oil revenues, deepening the resentment.
When dozens of prisoners accused of
membership of a banned Islamist militant
group were released last year from Abu Salim,
most of them headed east to Benghazi, where
their families live.
Msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 52 minutes ago
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of
Libya Wednesday in the first sign that the
unrest which toppled governments in
neighboring Tunisia and Egypt has spread to
the North African nation.
Witnesses said protesters in the eastern port
city of Benghazi chanted slogans demanding
the resignation of Prime Minister Baghdadi al-
Mahmoudi.
The Associated Press said that the crowds did
not appear to direct their anger at Moammar
Gadhafi, who is Africa's longest-serving
leader. He has ruled for 41 years.
However, Dubai-based television news service
Al-Jazeera reported that sources said the
demonstrators chanted slogans against the
"corrupt rulers of the country."
Al-Jazeera said the protesters had called on
citizens to observe Thursday as a "Day of
Rage," hoping to emulate the popular uprisings
in Egypt and Tunisia and end Gadhafi's regime.
As in the previous uprisings, Libyan activists
were using social networking websites
including Facebook.
Rioting is unusual in oil exporter Libya, where
Gadhafi keeps a tight grip on political life.
Libya's official news agency did not carry any
word of Wednesday's anti-government
protests.
It reported only that supporters of Gadhafi
were holding pro-government demonstrations
in Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities.
However, the online edition of Libya's
privately-owned Quryna newspaper, which is
based in Benghazi, said the crowd were armed
with Molotov cocktails and threw stones.
'A bad night'
It said they protested outside a local
government office to demand the release of
the human rights activist, and then went to the city's Shajara
square where they clashed with police and
government supporters.
The paper that government supporters had
taken over the square. Fourteen people were
injured including 10 police officers, but none
of the injuries were serious, the newspaper
added.
A Benghazi resident contacted by Reuters said
the people involved in the clashes were
relatives of inmates in Tripoli's Abu Salim jail,
where militant Islamists and government
opponents have traditionally been held.
Some were relatives of inmates killed at the
prison in June 1996, when more than 1,000
prisoners were shot dead.
"Last night was a bad night," said the witness,
who did not want to be identified.
"There were about 500 or 600 people
involved. They went to the revolutionary
committee (local government headquarters) in S
abri district, and they tried to go to the
central revolutionary committee ... They threw
stones," he said. "It is calm now."
Following the rioting, a local human rights
activist, Mohamed Ternish, told Reuters that
the government was to release 110 prisoners
jailed for membership of the banned Libyan
Islamic Fighting Group.
The prisoners are the last members of the
group still being held, he added.
On Monday, several opposition groups in exile
called for the overthrow of Gadhafi and for a
peaceful transition of power in Libya.
"Col. Gadhafi and all his family members
should relinquish powers," the groups said in
a statement.
Idris Al-Mesmari, a Libyan novelist, told Al-
Jazeera by telephone that security officials
dressed as civilians used tear gas, batons and
hot water to disperse the protesters.
The news service added there were
unconfirmed reports that Al-Mesmari was a
rrested hours after the interview.
An Egyptian blogger, Mohammed Maree, told
Al-Jazeera that Gadhafi's government
"continues to treat the Libyan people with lead
and fire."
"This is why we announce our solidarity with
the Libyan people and the families of the
martyrs until the criminals are punished,
starting with Moammar and his family."
Gadhafi came to power 1969 through a
military coup and since then he has been
advertisement
ruling the country with no parliament or
constitution.
Although Gadhafi claims he is only a
revolutionary leader with no official status, he
holds absolute power.
The opposition groups say that in practice he
has direct control of the country's politics and
its military and security forces.
Most analysts say Libya is unlikely to see an
uprising along the lines of Tunisia or Egypt.
The government has huge amounts of oil
cash which it can use to placate unhappy
citizens.
Libyan society and public life is built around
family and tribal ties, so if there is any
challenge to Gadhafi's rule, it is likely to
happen behind the scenes and not in the
streets.
The crucial test for Gadhafi now is whether the
unrest spreads beyond Benghazi to the capital
and the west of the country.
People in Benghazi have a history of
antagonism with Gadhafi. Many of them did
not support him when he came to power in a
military coup in 1969, and since then the
region has been cut out of much of the
largesse handed out by the government from
oil revenues, deepening the resentment.
When dozens of prisoners accused of
membership of a banned Islamist militant
group were released last year from Abu Salim,
most of them headed east to Benghazi, where
their families live.
Msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
Comment