Protesters have stormed Libya's parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk and are reported to have set fire to part of the building.
Young people stage a protest demanding the dissolution of the legislative and executive institutions in the country at Martyr's Square in Tripoli, Libya on July 01, 2022. Photo: HAZEM TURKIA
Images posted online showed thick columns of smoke as the demonstrators burned tyres outside.
There have been rallies in other Libyan cities against continuing power cuts, rising prices and political deadlock.
#BREAKING
— Libya Review (@LibyaReview) July 1, 2022
Protesters set fire to Libyan parliament in Tobruk.https://t.co/PzK4AXb3CT#Libya #LibyaReview pic.twitter.com/E97EKyzUKL
In the capital, Tripoli, where a rival administration holds sway, protesters called for elections.
Their demand was backed by the head of the interim unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who said all the country's institutions needed to be changed.
The unrest comes a day after United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva aimed at paving the way for a ballot ended with little progress.
Libya has been in chaos since the Nato-backed uprising in 2011 that ousted long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi.
In this file photo taken on March 15, 2021, Libyan security forces stand guard outside the entrance to the conference centre in the eastern coastal city of Tobruk, the building used as the parliament. Photo: MOHAMMED EL SHAIKHY
The oil-rich country, a key departure point for some of the thousands of migrants travelling to Europe, once had one of the highest standards of living in Africa, with free healthcare and free education.
But the stability that led to its prosperity has been shattered and Tripoli has seen frequent fighting between rival forces.
- BBC
