Consulate raid sparks anti-militia "Save Libya" protests, but Ansar al-Sharia schedules their own ra

[smurfy]

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/_bsh.jpg[/t] [t]http://imgkk.com/i/-w5t.jpg[/t]

• Tomorrow, tens of thousands of people are expected to attend rallies across Libya calling on the government to crack down on armed militias in the wake of the US consulate raid.
• The "Save Libya" movement has four demands: the immediate outlawing of armed militias; the revocation of any authority granted to them; the retaking of any public buildings under their control; and the use of the army and police to enforce this.
• However Ansar al-Sharia, the militia accused by the government of perpetrating the consulate raid, has responded by scheduling its own rally at the same time and place as Save Benghazi, leading to fears that clashes could break out.

[url]http://www.libyaherald.com/?p=14719[/url]

[quote=Libya Herald]A week has passed since the violent attack on the US consulate in Benghazi left four dead, including Libya’s esteemed US ambassador Chris Stevens. The Libyan government has made some arrests and has issued an order to disband their main suspects, Ansar al Sharia, a militant extremist group.

Furthermore, President of the General National Congress, Mohamed Al Magariaf, said that foreign elements that have been in the country for sometime, helped plan the attacks. Adding that investigations into the events would likely turn up a connection to Al Qaeda.

The US government on the other hand, is still claiming that the unfortunate events on 11 September were a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Islam film and will hold this view until they have fully investigated what has happened.

US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, recently said that evidence they gathered thus far indicated that protests over the film had “been hijacked by some clusters of extremist who came with heavier weapons”. Rice did not link these extremists to Al Qaeda, as the FBI had not completed its investigations, she stated.

On Tuesday, in memory of Stevens, Benghazi residents gathered at the US consulate to lay flowers and light candles, and left signs at the gate expressing their rejection of the attacks, extremists and terrorism.

While both governments look for answers, the vast majority of Libya continues to condemn the violent assaults and have planned to hold rallies on Friday, 21 September, calling for the government to take action over Libya’s lawlessness.

The initiative “Save Benghazi” was the first call for a city wide rally, other cities soon followed suit. The four unified demands displayed on posters are as follows:

“Withdrawal of all authorities granted to any armed militia; Calling on GNC to issue law criminalizing armed militias; Evacuation of all public buildings and governmental institutions from armed militias; Activation the role of the army and police, and provide them with all the support needed.”

The march starting at the Tibesti hotel in Benghazi, aims to clarify that residentss of the city are against terrorism, armed militias and the killing of innocent lives. Fringe groups, they say, have jeopardized the revolution, and their actions will no longer be tolerated.

Benghazi is seen as the cradle of the uprising that ousted Qaddafi’s regime, and the organisers call on the public to protect what has been fought for during the revolution.

Bilal Bentamer, a senior law student and volunteer for Save Benghazi, says the idea for the rally took-off from earlier protests against the attacks and the response from the city has been positive. Donations started to come in without even being requested, collecting well over three thousand dinars and counting.

The rally being well received comes as no surprise, this is not the first time the city has made such appeals. Benghazi has been trying to distance itself from the actions of extremists but as suggested by many, including Bilal, “the world needs to know that Benghazi is still against the film and insulting the Prophet, yet we don’t accept killing friends like Chris Stevens, and that extremists in Benghazi and Libya are not the majority.”

According to many activists, militant islamist in Benghazi are its biggest problem and after dialogue fails, removal by force may be required and this is the role of government, they say.

In Tripoli, activist Khadija Ali was among the first to call for protests in the wake of the US consulate attacks, and is currently working with a group of activists organising “Save Tripoli”. The march will celebrate the occasion of International Peace Day and show solidarity with “Save Benghazi”. The event seeks to promote the view that Libya is a peaceful nation and that Libyans “aspire to live in safety and stability”.

But more so, Khadaji would like people in Libya to feel the “unity they once felt during the liberation stage of the revolution and a sense of belonging not only to Libya but also to a greater international community “ and to become actors in world peace.

The greatest challenges facing Libya that of “security, law and order” says Khadija, needs the publics’ engagement of the government to ensure that citizens’ expectations are met. After the destruction of heritage sites in August, “a wake up call to civil society”, according to Khagija, it became clear to activists and those wanting change that “if they don’t act then no one will act on their behalf.”

Tripoli’s peace and solidarity march will take off from the coastal road park, and attendees are urged to wear white; the colour of peace.

Posters for “Save Derna”, “Save Zawiya” and “Save Gheryan” have appeared on Facebook, however the largest crowds are expected to assemble in Benghazi and Tripoli. Derna, especially would like to banish the view that it is the hot bed for extremists groups such as Al Qaeda in Libya.[/quote]

[url]http://www.libyaherald.com/?p=14786[/url]

[quote=Libya Herald]The Ansar Al-Sharia brigade has declared its intention to organise a mass protest in Benghazi’s Kish Square this Friday, putting it on a collision course with a previously announced march to commemorate the death of US Ambassador Chris Stevens, which is to be held at the same location.

The Islamist militia, which has been accused of complicity in last week’s fatal assault on the US Consulate in Benghazi, appears to have chosen the location deliberately, with both marches set to be held around 5pm following Friday prayers.

Organisers of the “Save Benghazi” rally, one of several slated to be held around the country on Friday, say they fear that almost inevitable confrontations could turn violent and have condemned the move.

“Ansar Al-Sharia have done this deliberately”, said Bilal Bettamir, one of the organisers of the rally to commemorate the fallen ambassador.

“We have been planning our march for the past week, and they made their decision yesterday. They knew all about it”.

Bettamir says that in addition to highlighting their opposition to the consulate attacks, the “Save Benghazi” rally will be calling for the disbanding of militias, both in law and in practice, and the development of a regular army and police. They will also be demonstrating for freedom of expression, he says, and for religious moderation.

“Ansar Al-Sharia have said that their rally is to be in the name of the Prophet”, Bettamir said. “But we are all Muslims and they should not be trying to hijack the Prophet like this. It is a huge issue”.

It is understood that the Ansar Al-Sharia rally will remain in Kish Square, whilst the second rally will begin outside the Tibesti hotel before proceeding on to that location.

Bettamir says that their rally is expected to draw several thousand people, far more than he expects will attend Ansar Al-Sharia’s.

“I believe we will have 20-50,000 people”, he said. “This really is going to be huge. I do not think the Ansar Al-Sharia rally will have more than a few hundred people”.

Organisers of the Ansar Al-Sharia rally have been handing out flyers in Benghazi, and insist they will not be there to celebrate Stevens’s death. The group has vehemently denied accusations that it was responsible for the attacks, which left a total of four Americans dead.

The group, which has been credited with maintaining security around hospitals and other pieces of critical infrastructure Benghazi, says that its primary objective is the implementation of Sharia law in Libya.

They are believed to be protesting to highlight their position and because they fear potential moves by the government to disband them.[/quote]

[trotskygrad]

Best case scenario: it goes well and that they can find common ground.

Worst case scenario: violent clashes

[IKTM]

I hope they can handle their own problems.

[smurfy]

In a nice coincidence, a port that has been under militia control since the revolution [url=http://www.libyaherald.com/?p=14817]has been[/url] peacefully handed over to the army

Some of the militias have genuinely good intentions; the army and police aren't developed enough to take control everywhere yet, so militias are the only ones who can run the place.

Others are bastards of course