Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Riots break out in Libyan city of Benghazi

(Reuters) - A crowd of people angry at the arrest of a rights campaigner clashed with police and government supporters overnight in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, a witness and local media said.

Libyan state television said separately that rallies were being held across the oil exporting country Wednesday in support of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The online edition of Libya's privately-owned Quryna newspaper, which is based in Benghazi, said the crowd were armed with petrol bombs and threw stones.

It said they protested outside a local government office to demand the release of the human rights activist, and then went to the city's Shajara square where they clashed with police and government supporters.

It said the rioting was now over and that government supporters had taken over the square. Fourteen people were injured including 10 police officers, but none of the injuries were serious, the newspaper said...............

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