After gunfire, 233 Lybian protesters were left dead. These protesters, influenced by both Egyptian and Tunisian protest, wanted more democracy. The Lybian government promised more democracy once the protest stopped. But violence has not stopped. Unlike the non-violent Egyptian protest, the anti-government protesters have set fire to cars and has even invaded a South Korean construciton site and stabbed two workers. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of the Lybian ruler said that he would like to talk to the protesters peacefully, but if there is no peace,"forget about democracy, forget about reform ... It will be a fierce civil war."
6 comments:
I read about this event and it seems like Egypt's protest is spreading to other countries who also want democracies. Just like in Egypt, the protesters want Gadhafi to leave, but based on his statement written in the article, it doesn't seem like he'll be leaving anytime soon. Hopefully no war breaks out, and hopefully Gadhafi and the protesters can come to an agreement instead.
I find it really hard to comment on topics such as civil war. I have never been to Lybia, I don't know anyone in Lybia, and I know nothing about the government of Lybia. All I know about this situation is that these protesters are fighting for a cause they believe in. They feel like they deserve more rights and it is their government's duty to guarantee those rights. They are fighting for democracy and I hope they get everything they are fighting for
These protests in Libya are quite unique as it seems once again that some members of the armed forces are unwilling to fire upon innocent civilians. Just recently, two fighter pilots defected after supposedly being ordered to "bomb the protestors". It is exciting how as some reporters were explaining this is a "Berlin Wall moment" for the Muslim World. To see such revolutionary actions that are going to make the world a better place, potentially closing the divide between the rich and the poor in the Middle East. Hopefully, this protest will not turn out like Tianmen, Myanmar, Iran or any others. Hopefully, neither will it turn into a full fledged war, though the protestors have very little weapons, thus a genocidal solution seems more likely. America and the Western world can either prove its love for democracy or show otherwise. Hopefully, the remaining protestors will remain safe and a free government will emerge in most of these Middle Eastern countries. "Insha'Allah" as many say.
In response to Eunice's comment, I also agree that the protestors would like him to leave. However, I do not believe the two parties will work out a compromise due to Gadhafi's long term of almost 42 years. He also has been unwilling to give up most of his power, just assigning himself different titles.
Wow I had a feeling that the Egyptian Revolution would lead something bad. But who would have known it would influence a violent approach for other country's people to want change. I guess democracy is the way to go for all countries haha. Hmm... actually this is not a laughing matter. A lot of people are dying and no one knows what will happen next. I hope everything will be alright.
This is a scary time for those countries who are undergoing the same revolutionary action and government upheaval as Egypt. Many people witness what has been happening in first Tunisia and then Egypt and want the end to dictatorial regimes. But unfortunately, their leaders are also watching this domino effect. Libya's governmental crackdown shows how scared another government is of falling out of power, and how willing they are to do anything they can to stay in power. It's a scary time because both sides, especially in Libya, are so determined. The protestors know that death awaits them if they fail to remove Qaddafi (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/africa/24rebels.html), and Qaddafi knows that death (or certainly a necessity to flee) awaits him if he fails. The brutality that can be seen in Libya at the moment is, I think, a result of Qaddafi's fear to lose power and to end up like Egypt or Tunisia. But it's crazy and extremely tragic that the government resorts to such extreme measures in response to this fear. He has security forces shooting freely in the streets and planes dropping small bombs according to the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/world/africa/22libya.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Libya%20hundreds%20killed&st=cse).
We, as a democratic nation, know how glorious democracy can be. Yet to those who know a world of rulers in power for 40 years and "elections" every half century, the journey to democracy is not glorious. I feel as though sometimes we forget how hard it is for countries who are not democratic to achieve democracy. Now, I'm not saying it's not worth the fight, but it is important to remember that there is a fight involved in obtaining democracy. I encourage democracy across the world and I support those who fight for it, but we cannot forget that there is often a hefty price to pay for such freedom, the likes of which we have seen in Libya's recent death toll.
-Alice Bebbington
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