By Saber Ayyub and Aznadin Mustafa.
Tripoli, 16 February 2016:
Despite predictions that Libyans, angry with the behaviour of the current political leaders, . . .[restrict]would not celebrate this year’s anniversary of the 2011 revolution, large numbers of revellers, estimated at between 1,000 and 2,000 turned up in Martyrs Square in Tripoli this evening to do just that. There were celebrations too in other places in western Libya, such as Ghadames, Ghariyan and Tajoura from where a massive Libyan flag was taken Martyrs’ Square.
In the east, however, events were more muted. In Benghazi, which Khalifa Hafter visited during the day to inspect army positions, there few revellers. “There is no one celebrating here,” one civil society activist told the Libya Herald.
In Tripoli, where the regime has been trying to reconnect with the public by playing up its claim to be the guardian of the revolution, many people were determined to mark the event despite the political crisis and the privations resulting from it.
“In spite of everything, I am celebrating the anniversary with flags and songs with my kids at home tonight,” said Ghada, a Triploli housewife today.
“The revolution was good. But the politicians are bad,” another central Tripoli resident said this evening, adding that he and his neighbours believed that the troubles were not the fault of the revolution but of the politicians. So they would celebrate.
“Die, die, Gaddaf-Adam,” people in Tripoli’s Martyrs shouted, “Libyans love the revolution” – a reference to the claim by Ahmed Gaddaf-Adam in Cairo recently that Libyans now hated the revolution.
The same chant was heard in Zawia where hundreds turned out to mark the anniversary and fireworks lit up the night sky.
But despite the numbers in Martyrs’ Square and the support for the revolution, this fifth anniversary has proved controversial among many Libyans who have been asking themselves whether they should celebrate given the current harsh economic situation, the disappointments of dreams not achieved, and the power struggles that have torn the country apart, allowing one major Libyan town to be occupied by terrorists.
There are many who feel that celebrations are not in order in the circumstances.
“Celebrate for what!” said one resident furiously. “Celebrate for running out of money, celebrate for shortage of cash in the banks, celebrate for rising of prices, celebrate for regular electricity cuts – celebrate for what?” He claimed that those who were celebrating this year were those who were gaining from the current situation. They were exploiting patrtiotism for their own interests, he said.
“I can’t fool myself to pretend celebrating while sons of my country are being crucified in front of our eyes by foreign criminals who are occupying a town in the heart of the country,” said Tripoli resident Marwan, referring to Sirte where five young Libyans have been executed and crucified by the so-called Islamic State in the last three days.
For its part the administration in Tripoli has put great effort and considerable resources to make a show out of the anniversary, making both 17 and 18 February public holidays. There was a massive fireworks display and prizes to be won for those who turned up in Martyrs’ Square this evening, such as cars. It is reported that the General National Congress allocated LD 20 million to the committee headed by Walid Al-Laafi, the managing director of Nabaa TV, organising the festivities.
It was on Nabaa TV that President of the Congress Nuri Abusahmain and the head of Tripoli administration Khalifa Ghwell and Grand Mufti Sadik Al-Ghariani appeared this afternoon, along with controversial Misratan militia leader Salah Badi, to launch the celebrations.
To ensure that the capital looked its festive best, flags are everwhere, many put up by the Tripoli government or the municpal council, others by some of the residents. Orders went out to organisations to hang flags on their buildings. The company operating Bulayla Tower, one of Tripoli’s tallest buildings, is reported to have received notice from security officials that it had delayed hanging flags over the building. It responded rapidly and decorated the building accordingly. [/restrict]
