Dozens of young people in the city of Al-Zawiya have declared civil disobedience against the backdrop of video clips circulating of "youth being tortured by African mercenaries at the headquarters of a militia."
The youth gathered before the Security Directorate headquarters in the city at dawn, Thursday, where one of them delivered a statement of their demands.
The statement called for suspending the municipal council and its members, hold them accountable, conduct new municipal elections, suspending director of Al-Zawiya security and bringing him to justice, end phenomenon of armed vehicles completely from the city, and relocate military premises outside the down town.
The youth demanded the abolition of what they called the "illegal legitimacy" issued by the Ministries of Interior and Defense, the suspension and re-formation of the current Joint Security Force, arrest of African mercenaries affiliated with gangs and security services, and to raid illegal immigration dens.
The demands also included "seizing all criminals involved in killings and those involved in crimes, raiding fuel smuggling dens, preventing its sale on the coastal road and in the city, closing unlicensed petrol stations permanently, holding accountable petrol station owners who sell their orders to smugglers, and operationalize the anti-narcotics agency and raid drug dens.
On Wednesday night, protesters set tires on fire and gathered in Martyrs' Square in Al-Zawiya, to protest against the torture incident.
The demonstrators also closed the eastern entrance to Al-Zawiya, leading to the capital Tripoli, in protest against “deterioration of the city's security situation." They also closed Al-Zawiya Refinery valves, as well as headquarters of the Security Directorate.
This morning, protesters closed the headquarters of the Municipal Council with sand, and there were reports of the closure of the court's headquarters, in addition to blocking by a number of residents of the coastal road passing through the city of Al-Zawiya.
The Union of Students of Al-Zawiya University also announced suspension of studies in all colleges in the city due to the sit-ins taking place.
