No Result
View All Result
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
21 °c
Tripoli
22 ° Thu
22 ° Fri
24 ° Sat
27 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
 
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Libya Celebrates the 17 February Revolution one year on

byMichel Cousins
September 24, 2014
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Libya Celebrates the 17 February Revolution one year on

Celebrations in Tripoli for the first anniversary of the 17 February revolution

12
SHARES
51
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Across the country Libyans took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate the first anniversary of the 17 February Revolution that . . .[restrict]started a year ago but took eight months and tens of thousands of lives to overthrow the hated Qaddafi regime.

The celebrations were spontaneous.  None was organized by the government. The only action by the government was the announcement that Saturday is to be  public holiday.

In Tripoli the festivities were a little slower to start with but it was soon the same story.  For the past couple of days, residents had been hanging flags in the streets.  On Thursday morning people were still doing so. But by the afternoon, the city was full of them — of all sizes.

More remarkable was the traffic.  By mid afternoon, there was a steady river of flag-bearing, car-horn hooting vehicles in almost every street of the capital. By early evening it had become a mighty, noisy flood. Streets were blocked with traffic, intersections were gridlocked.  A five-minute car journey turned into an hour one. It appeared that everyone had decorated their vehicles in flags and was trying to drive around the city.  Children hung out of car windows waving flags; radios blasted revolution songs.  The cry of “Allahu Akhbar” was everywhere.

RELATED POSTS

Members of illegal organizations given imprisonment and death sentences by Misrata Criminal Court

The International Conference on Arbitration in Libya – held in Tripoli with international participation

Tripoli was very much in full celebration.  In some places there was, quite literally, dancing in the streets. With their radios at full volume, young men got out of their blocked cars and danced to the music.

On a couple of occasions cars were seen bumping into each other in the congested traffic. Normally it would result in shouting and accusations.  Not on Thursday evening.  Drivers got out, greeted each other, laughed at the slight damage and shock hands.

A brigadesman celebrates with a rose

In the now renamed Martyrs Square large numbers of people gathered,flags were waved in abundance (among them the Amazigh flag as well as that of the Syrian  opposition), fireworks were let off, music played and stall holders selling candy floss, popcorn, flags and tricolor-decorated objects — balloons, key rings, wrist bands and the like — did a roaring trade.   At one point a large, slow-moving procession of chanting Sufis, mainly young men, accompanied by pipes and drums, flowed into the square from Shara Istiklal.   They were joined by many others in the square.

Mingling among the crowd was Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur Al-Ghaith, clearly enjoying the event. He was soon buttonholed by individuals keen to make a political point.

It was the same all over the city.  In Fashloum district, scene last year of determined opposition to Qaddafi, the main street was impassable, so great were the crowds. Brigadesmen were on duty diverting the traffic.

Significantly absent, though, was the celebrationary gunfire that had been a permanent sound at night until very recently.

The festive atmosphere was very different to what had been predicted in some quarters. Irritation at what some saw as the slow place of reform and the lack of transparency had resulting in growing criticism of the NTC and government.  A couple of weeks ago, Libyans were tweeting and text-messaging that the anniversary would produce a fresh angry uprising. From his exile in Niger, Saadi Qaddafi tried to jump on the bandwagon, claiming in a TV interview that the country was ready to rise up and that he would return.

Fears that there might be trouble kept some expatriates, mainly Africans, at home on Thursday and Friday.  Security was well in evidence in and round Tripoli for much of the week with brigadesmen mounting roadblocks and checking vehicles in search of any guns and bombs. In Martyrs Square on Thursday evening, the security presence was there if less obvious.

In the event it probably was not needed. The scale of celebration across the capital and country clearly demonstrated massive support for both the revolution and the NTC.

In Tripoli’s Martyrs Square the happiness on people’s faces was evident. Qaddafi’s stage-managed and paid-for events in the same square never even matched it.

[/restrict]

Share5Tweet3Share1

Related Posts

Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Members of illegal organizations given imprisonment and death sentences by Misrata Criminal Court

May 30, 2023
State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli
Libya

State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

May 29, 2023
FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards
Libya

FDCC destroys non-conforming shipments of medicines, calls on suppliers to respect Libyan health standards

May 29, 2023
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

Tripoli Libyan government conducts drone strikes against criminal hideouts in western coast

May 25, 2023
AmCham Libya Networking Breakfast
Libya

US Embassy in Tripoli announces easing of visa protocol: One-year multiple entry visas now replace three-month single-entry visas

May 24, 2023
Ten former antagonists, now presidential candidates, including Hafter, Bashagha and Maetig gather in Benghazi
Libya

Bashagha suspended by HoR as eastern-based prime minister

May 19, 2023
Next Post

Vietnamese workers to return

First post-revolution stamp issued

 

Advertise on LibyaHerald

Reach thousands of our site visitors daily

240 x 400px

Advertise Here
ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

    State recognised militia and Libyan Army clash in central Tripoli

    187 shares
    Share 75 Tweet 47
  • Tripoli Libyan government conducts drone strikes against criminal hideouts in western coast

    132 shares
    Share 53 Tweet 33
  • US Embassy in Tripoli announces easing of visa protocol: One-year multiple entry visas now replace three-month single-entry visas

    109 shares
    Share 59 Tweet 21
  • The Tripoli Libyan Ministry of Transport confirms development plan for Libya-Tunisia Ras Jedir border crossing

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Libya loses US$ 5 bn annually due to illegal Tuna fishing within its territorial waters

    111 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 27
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

Members of illegal organizations given imprisonment and death sentences by Misrata Criminal Court

The International Conference on Arbitration in Libya – held in Tripoli with international participation

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Cart
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Sign In with Facebook
    Sign In with Linked In
    OR

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Sign Up with Facebook
    Sign Up with Linked In
    OR

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?