Residents of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and eastern city of Benghazi have called for peaceful protests on Monday against “all forms of corruption” and the “toppling of all political bodies.”
Activists in eastern Libya have been making these calls for days ahead of Monday’s rally that will be held in the afternoon in Benghazi.
The activists have been calling for “saving Libya” and “rejecting corruption”, which they blame on the spread of the coronavirus in the country, lack of basic services and unemployment.
The organizers urged the people to protest peacefully and shun weapons and violence as a means to resolve conflicts. They instead demanded peaceful solutions to problems.
Salheen al-Neihoumy, an official at the foreign ministry in the east-based interim government and a supporter of the Benghazi protests, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the rallies were prompted by the recent dramatic drop in living conditions.
The protesters will demand the overthrow of the political class and call for presidential and parliamentary elections, he said.
He accused the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the National Oil Corporation, headed by Mustafa Sanallah, of “tightening the noose around eastern Libya by cutting fuel supplies, which has led to power cuts for several hours of the day.”
Despite their divisions, the people in eastern and western Libya will protest on Monday for the same reason, sending a message that all regions are united in their demand for better living conditions and the ouster of corruption politicians.