By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 6 April 2014:
Tripoli Local Council has denied allegations that Benghazi’s general strike has spilled over into the . . .[restrict]capital.
“A false statement was spread on social media networks suggesting that Tripoli Local Council is also declaring a state of civil disobedience,” a spokesperson for the local council, Asma Al-Fatsi, told the Libya Herald.
“These statements were actually made in November during the Ghargour incidents in Tripoli, and people just changed the dates,” she said.
A planned ten-day general strike in Benghazi, which is being described as an act of ‘civil disobedience,’ started today. It is in protest against ongoing assassinations and the deteriorating security situation in the city.
“We are in absolute solidarity with Benghazi,” Fatsi said. “Although it isn’t entirely clear why a state of civil disobedience should be held.”
The general strike has, however, had a knock-on effect on schools in Tripoli. Despite assurances from the Ministry of Education that schools across Libya would be unaffected, at least one school in Tripoli was closed today.
The school, in the Mansoura district of the capital, opened as normal this morning but then armed men reportedly forced it to close. They said it should stay shut until the government and the General National Congress collapsed.
Other Tripoli schools, particularly primary schools, were reportedly poorly-attended today. [/restrict]
