Anti-Government Protests Reach Libya

A crowd of 2,000 people in the port city of Benghazi was violently dispersed by police wielding batons and firing tear gas.

Moamar Gadhafi probably saw this coming. The Libyan strongman who has ruled his country for 40 years is the latest North African leader dealing with Egypt-inspired dissent, after the arrest of prominent opposition figure Fathi Terbil sparked angry demonstrations in Benghazi Wednesday. Terbil is the human rights lawyer representing relatives of 1200 prisoners killed in a 1996 massacre and was arrested without warning. He has reportedly been released from custody. Emulating the tactics of Egyptian protesters who toppled Hosni Mubarak’s regime last week, Libyans are calling on citizens to observe a “day of rage” Thursday and take to the streets en masse. A group of 213 prominent activists and opposition members have signed a statement calling on Gadhafi to resign.