Libyan Protesters Raid NTC Offices

Deputy council chief resigns amidst fresh unrest
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 23, 2012 8:09 AM CST
Libyan Protesters Raid NTC Offices
Men chant slogans during a protest in Benghazi, Libya, Monday, Dec. 12, 2011.   (AP Photo/ Ibrahim Alaguri)

Don't look now, but protests are still raging in Libya—only now, they're against the new interim government. Protesters ransacked the government's offices in Benghazi yesterday, capping off months of demonstrations across the country, and prompting the resignation of the government's second-highest official, the New York Times reports. The protesters smashed windows, forced their way into the building, and even threw a grenade.

The protesters were responding to a new election law draft that they say would incentivize Libyans to vote along tribal lines. Deputy chief Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga stepped down after the incident, saying it was "for the good of the country." But council chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil, who was in the office during the raid, was less conciliatory. "We are going through a political movement that can take the country to a bottomless pit," he said. "The people have not given the government enough time. ... Give them a chance, at least two months." (More Mustafa Abdul Jalil stories.)

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