Libyans, to varying degrees, celebrate 2011 uprising

Libyans, to varying degrees, celebrate 2011 uprising
Libyans are seen through a Kingdom of Libya flag during a celebration rally in front of the residence of Muammar Gaddafi at the Bab al-Aziziyah complex in Tripoli September 13, 2011. (Reuters)
Updated 17 February 2019
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Libyans, to varying degrees, celebrate 2011 uprising

Libyans, to varying degrees, celebrate 2011 uprising
  • Hundreds of people reveled Sunday in the western cities of Tripoli, Misrata and Zawiya

BENGHAZI: Libyans are celebrating the eighth anniversary of their 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi, with the varying intensity of festivities underscoring the split between the country’s east and west.
Hundreds of people reveled Sunday in the western cities of Tripoli, Misrata and Zawiya, where bands played national songs and flags lined the streets.
But festivities were much more subdued in the country’s east, with only a few people gathering at the central courthouse in Benghazi, a city that has billed itself as the birthplace of Libya’s uprising.
Libya remains largely a chaotic patchwork of territory run by militias and gangs, with rival administrations in Tripoli and the east.