By Maha Ellawati.
Benghazi, 3 May 2013:
A demonstration today in Benghazi in support of the government and against militias was attacked and . . .[restrict]broken up by armed men this afternoon.
Around 150 demonstrators had gathered in front of the Tibesti hotel to protest against the action of militiamen who have besieged government ministries in Tripoli. They were also protesting against the assaults on activists meeting in the hotel during the previous two days.
On Wednesday evening, a meeting at the Tibesti which was planning a demonstration today in the city’s Tahrir Square was broken up when an armed group of Political Isolation Law supporters stormed in. Former Youth and Sports Minister, Fathi Terbil, former NTC deputy chairman, Abdel-Hafiz Ghoga and the organisers of the Save Benghazi campaign had been at the meeting. They were forced to leave.
Terbil had earlier demanded that the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadeq Ghariani issue a fatwa forbidding assaults on any state institutions. It was needed, he said, because attempts to force the enactment of the Political Isolation Law by the use of arms were unacceptable.
On Thursday evening, a meeting was again held in the Tibesti, attended this time by journalist Ahmed Tohami. The meeting was again stormed and broken up.
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