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Sources inside Libya informed Shaffaf late on Tuesday night that demonstrations were taking place in the cities of Benghazi, al-Baida and al-Marj. Demonstrators were calling for the fall of the regime of Muammar Qaddafi.
Sources speculated that the regime is in full alert and would, probably, succeed in crushing this first wave of revolt. Other revolts are expected, however.
Sources noted that Benghazi (Libya’s second city), al-Baida (Libya’s third city and “royal” capital until Qaddafi’s putsch) and al-Marj are situated in the Jabal al-Akhdar (= ‘green mountain’) area east of Tripoli. The Jabal al-Akhdar is traditionally rebellious and pro-Senoussi.
Our sources indicate trouble started on February 15 (and not on February 17, as feared by the regime) when security forces in Benghazi arrested members of a committee representing families of “victims of the Abu Slim massacre in 1996“. The committee’s spokesman had, earlier, on Tuesday, published a communiqué “ending” all discussions with authorities. Arrests followed which, apparently, led to demonstrations and riots in East Libya’s major cities.
The following video, from Benghazi, features women crying “the blood of martyrs shall not be forgotten”, in a reference to the Abu Slim prison massacre.
Metransparent had, last week, reported arrests in Libya’s western region, populated by Berbers (Amazigh).