BENGHAZI’S SEAFRONT square last night played host to raucous celebrations marking the first anniversary of the city’s “Day of Rage” protests that later tipped into an armed uprising that succeeded in toppling Col Muammar Gadafy.
Thousands braved high winds and driving rain to congregate on the plaza, now known as Midan Tahrir or Liberation Square, where some of the Libyan revolution’s first rallies took place. Earlier yesterday Friday prayers at the square included a solemn commemoration of men from Benghazi who died during the months of fighting that eventually led to Gadafy’s killing in October.
Relatives of the fallen wove their way in and out of the crowd of revellers last night holding placards and framed portraits of their loved ones, mostly fresh-faced young men. One large poster featured Rami el-Kaleh, a 27-year-old Irish-born engineer and musician who was shot dead by a Gadafy loyalist in Benghazi in March.
Security was tight in and around the square, with surrounding streets closed and patrolled by armed men, many of whom had set up roadblocks alongside pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns. Libya’s interim government, the National Transitional Council (NTC), has been on alert after Saadi Gadafy, a son of the former dictator, last week warned that a loyalist uprising would erupt on the anniversary.
As fireworks exploded into the night sky, scores of men, women and children waved the red, black and green standard of pre-Gadafy Libya, adopted by the revolutionaries last year. The sea of flags also included those of Egypt, Syria and France, the latter described by one local woman as “Benghazi’s saviour” because of the French air strikes that repelled a convoy of Gadafy’s tanks as they advanced on the city last March. There was a notable absence of the Qatari flag which had been a common sight at similar celebrations last year. Qatar, which funnelled weapons and other assistance to the rebels during the uprising, has faced increasing criticism from Libyans who accuse the Gulf state of favouring Islamist forces in the country.
Yesterday, jubilant young men sang along with sentimental ballads paying tribute to Benghazi and the revolution in between chanting the slogan that last year proved a rallying call on the see-sawing frontline: “The blood of the martyrs shall not be spilled in vain.” A large banner near the stage showed a woman who lost relatives in the infamous 1996 Abu Salim prison massacre, during which 1,200 inmates were killed by regime forces. It was the protests by families of those who perished at Abu Salim that later morphed into larger anti-regime demonstrations last February. Above the image of the elderly woman with her hands outstretched was the slogan:
“May Allah protect our revolution”. The sentiment hints at deeper anxieties over the state of post-Gadafy Libya.
The NTC declared victory on October 23rd, three days after Gadafy’s death at the hands of rebel fighters in his hometown of Sirte. Since then, many have become frustrated with the slow pace of change as the NTC has struggled to form a unified administration and revive the economy as the country prepares for national elections – the first in more than four decades – scheduled to take place in June.
Many are also fearful of the militias formed during the uprising that remain armed and appear more powerful than the interim authorities. Organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders have accused militias of torturing detainees, most of whom are former pro-Gadafy fighters or regime officials. Rivalries between some militias have deepened in recent months, resulting in several deadly clashes.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the NTC, warned this week that neither the revolutionary spirit of Libya nor its stability will be compromised in any way.
“We opened our arms to all Libyans, whether they supported the revolution or not. But this tolerance does not mean we are incapable of dealing with the stability of our country,” he said in a televised address.
“We will be tough towards people who threaten our stability. The [revolutionaries] are ready to respond to any attack aimed at destabilising the country.”