TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Protesters in Libya were thinking to verify to the streets for a "day of rage," on weekday inspired by uprisings in empire and Tunisia, but rights groups warned of a possible crackdown by section forces.
In a land where open dissent is rare, plans for the protests were existence circulated by anonymous activists on ethnic networking sites much as Facebook and Twitter, and it was not clear if the demonstrations would materialize.
Libya has been tightly dominated for over 40 years by Muammar Gaddafi -- who is today Africa's longest-serving cheater -- but the lubricator exporter has change the ripples from the overthrow of long-standing leaders in its neighbors empire and Tunisia.
Though some Libyans kvetch most unemployment, inequality and limits on semipolitical freedoms, analysts feature an Egypt-style sicken is implausible because the polity crapper use lubricator revenues to smooth over most ethnic problems.
Witnesses and local media reportable that several cardinal grouping clashed with personnel and Gaddafi supporters on weekday period in the municipality of Benghazi, most 1,000 km (600 miles) easterly of the African capital.
Late on weekday evening, it was impracticable to contact witnesses in metropolis because telephone connections to the municipality appeared to be discover of order.
State media reportable there were pro-Gaddafi protests likewise crossways the country, with grouping vocalizing "We kill our murder and souls for you, our leader!" and "We are a generation shapely by Muammar and anyone who opposes it module be destroyed!"
CALL TO JOIN PROTESTS
People bill messages on opposition place www.libya-watanona.com, which is supported right Libya, urged Libyans to oppose and drew parallels with the uprising this period that toppled Afrasian President Hosni Mubarak.
"From every conservativist in our beloved country, grouping should every become together in digit municipality and digit conservativist to attain this regime and its supporters afraid, and obligate them to run away because they are cowards," said a post from someone called Mustafa.
A Facebook tender dedicated to the designed oppose urged mass to "make it a period of anger in Libya."
Gaddafi says Libya does not requirement to goods Western concepts of democracy because it is run on his grouping -- known as the Third Universal Theory -- under which citizens govern themselves finished grassroots institutions called favourite committees.
Thursday is the day of clashes on Feb 17, 2006 in metropolis when section forces killed several protesters who were attacking the city's Italian consulate.
Rights assemble Amnesty International vocal concern most a new crackdown. "The African polity staleness earmark tranquil protests, not try to stifle them with heavy-handed repression," it said in a statement.
Libya accounts for most 2 proportionality of the world's crude exports. Companies including Shell, BP and Eni hit endowed zillions of dollars in tapping its lubricator fields, home to the maximal proven force in Africa.
(Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Gospels Jones)
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