Protesters stormed Libya’s parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk, protesting against worsening living conditions and political impasse, Libyan media reported. Several television channels reported on Friday that protesters had managed to infiltrate the parliament building and committed vandalism, while media showed images of thick plumes of black smoke rising from its perimeter as angry young protesters burned tires. Other media reports said part of the building had burned down. The parliament building was empty as Friday marks the weekend in Libya. “We want the lights to work,” chanted the protesters. Earlier on Friday, protests were also held in other cities, al-Wasat reported. In the capital Tripoli, in the west of the country, several hundred people gathered in a central square, where they demonstrated against the armed militias and demanded better electricity supply and lower bread prices. Images from the demonstration in Tobruk in the east of the country showed a protester driving a bulldozer that had managed to break down part of a gate, allowing other protesters to more easily enter the parliament building. Other protesters, some waving green flags of the Gaddafi regime, threw office documents into the air. Libya has suffered several days of blackouts, exacerbated by the blockade of several oil facilities amid political rivalries. Lawmaker Balkheir Alshaab told Libya’s Al-Ahrar channel: “We must recognize our failure and immediately withdraw from politics.” Libya’s parliament, or House of Representatives, is based in Tobruk, hundreds of kilometers east of the capital Tripoli, after the east-west split in 2014 following the uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi three years earlier. Libyan news website al-Wasat reported that protesters in Tobruk were demanding the dissolution of parliament and new elections. At the same time, the protests were directed against the poor living conditions in the country. Recent weeks have also seen repeated skirmishes between armed groups in Tripoli, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict. Two governments are currently vying for power in Libya. In the capital, Tripoli, the leadership is led by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. At the same time, the government of former interior minister Fathi Basaga is vying for power for itself. The latter is allied with the parliament in Tobruk, in the east. A peace process starting in 2020 has sought to reunite the country. However, after scheduled elections were suspended in December, the eastern parliament said Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s interim unity government had expired and appointed Fathi Bashagha to replace him. Earlier this month, heavy fighting broke out between two influential militias from western Libya. Local media identified the armed groups as the Nawashi Brigade – a militia loyal to Basaga – and the Stability Support Force, which supports Abdul Hamid Dbeiba. No motive for the clashes was immediately apparent, but it was the latest violence to rock the country as two rival prime ministers battled for power. The United Nations said on Thursday that talks between rival Libyan institutions aimed at breaking the deadlock had failed to resolve key differences. While some progress has been made, it has not been enough to move towards elections, with the two sides still at odds over who can run for president, said the top UN envoy for Libya, Stephanie Williams, who facilitated the talks. conversations.
