NOS News•today, 00:36
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Protesters have broken into Libya’s parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk. A fire has been started in and around the building.
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The North African country is politically divided in two. The demonstrators are furious about the political deadlock, corruption and poor living conditions. People have also taken to the streets in the capital Tripoli.
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An eyewitness tells AP news agency that thousands of demonstrators marched to parliament. They demanded the resignation of politicians and new elections. Libyan media report vandalism in the building. Documents would have been set on fire.
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Vehicles and tires were on fire outside the building. Thick clouds of smoke can be seen in the area. According to the eyewitness, security forces tried to prevent people from entering the building. A protester is said to have been shot in the leg after which other demonstrators forced their way inside.
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Because Friday is the first day of the weekend in Libya, it is expected that not many people were present in the building. Nothing is known about victims at this time.
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Interim Prime Minister Dbeibah says he stands behind the protesters. He demands that all political institutions resign, including his own government, and that new elections be held.
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Protests elsewhere too
People also took to the streets in other parts of Libya to protest, including in the capital Tripoli and Benghazi. The country has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. During that uprising, dictator Gaddafi was ousted and later killed.
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Since then, the country has split politically into two rival factions. One is in eastern Tobruk and the other in the capital. Both claim political power and receive support from abroad. A peace process started two years ago, but so far it has yielded nothing.
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