The Libyan street is sharply divided between supporters and oppositionists of the call to demonstrate on Friday, February 15^th— two days before the country celebrates its second anniversary of the revolution— under many slogans varying from correcting the course of the General National Congress (GNC), to imposing demands on authorities; even ousting the GNC and the government.

White revolution

The Libyan street is sharply divided between supporters and oppositionists of the call to demonstrate on Friday, February 15^th— two days before the country celebrates its second anniversary of the revolution— under many slogans varying from correcting the course of the General National Congress (GNC), to imposing demands on authorities; even ousting the GNC and the government.

White revolution

Those calling for demonstrations are political, independent and military figures. Issam Jahani, one proponent, says the demonstration on February 15th comes under the commitment to an agreement made between the Benghazi Local Council and many civil society organizations (CSOs) on the one hand, and GNC and the interim government on the other. This date is the deadline given to authorities to meet the demands of the protestors in Benghazi; otherwise, they will take to streets under a peaceful movement they call “White Revolution.”

Hoping that the GNC and the government will assume their responsibilities and meet the voters’ demands, Jahani added: “It will be peaceful to the last minute.”

Jahani however warned against “the mobilization of supporters in the Horreya Square in Benghazi by some parties to impose their demands and agendas and void the uprising of its content.”

The demonstrator’s demands, he explained are: “Beginning  a dialogue, adopting the 1951 constitution after amending it, returning the institutions that were moved to Tripoli, adopting local government systems, and activating the police and the army.”

Ending decentralization

Qais Bakshishi, representative of the “Benghazi is an Economic Capital” bloc, said: “We are peacefully participating in the February 15th demonstration in Horreya Square to call for the realization of our demands agreed upon by all parties in the meeting recently held in the Islamic Call Society.”

Bakshishi summarized their demands as: “Enforcing Sharia; activating Article 188 of the 1951 constitution – stating that Tripoli and Benghazi are the two capitals of Libya – putting an immediate end to decentralization; activating the army and the police; and looking after the families of martyrs, the lost and the wounded.”

Inextinguishable fire

Muhammad Walid, Professor at Benghazi University, had a different opinion. “Demonstrating is conditional on knowing the organizing bodies and their plan of organization. Calls by anonymous bodies or persons are refused on our part,” Walid said.

“The goals should be clear and real, not unattainable or resulting in more harm like attacking the legitimacy; the marches should be protected to prevent criminals, members of revolutionary committees and the police from penetrating them and to avoid destruction and killing incidents since those want it be an inextinguishable fire,” Walid added.

The Grand Mufti

In a video published on social networking websites, the Grand Mufti of Libya, Sadik Ghariani, called CSOs to control the movement on February 15^th “in order to thwart any destructive intentions.”

Ali al-Sallabi, member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, similarly called on the organizers of the February 15th protests to insure that no Libyan blood is shed, blaming them for any potential aggressive acts, and calling on the GNC to cooperate with the government to provide solutions for key files, like security, activating the judiciary, and national reconciliation.

Destabilization
In a statement to “Ajwaa Leblad” page on facebook, Minster of Interiors, Ashur Shwayel, expressed his worries that the February 15th demonstrations could deviate from its peaceful course, or “turn into an event affecting the security of Libya,” asking all Libyans to unite whatever their political opinions were.

“Citizens have the right to express their political opinions,” Shwayel stressed “and set forth their viewpoints, and call for their rights, without prejudice to Libyan security and stability.”

Shwayel explained that some exploited such events “to destabilize the country,” suggesting that MoI developed a plan to deal with the anticipated protests, but its effective implementation “requires no negligence on the part of the police.”

The minister called citizens, CSOs and clan heads to motivate and help policemen commit to this plan, warning that the ministry would take “strict measures” against the negligent.

Muslim Brotherhood

The Libyan Muslim Brotherhood have expressed support of a peaceful demonstration, stressing that it is “a right for all citizens, provided that such demonstrations do not call for or incite violence, vandalism of public or private properties, or assassination of political opponents.”

In their statement, the Brotherhood Shura Council said, “Security and social peace are of a great value that were materialized throughout the Libyan revolution; therefore, they are a red line that cannot be overstepped for whatever political or personal purposes.”

However, the statement also suggested that “any attempt to overturn the legitimacy of the democratically-elected GNC is in fact an attempt to overturn the will of the people who elected it, though its performance is viewed differently.”

A chance for deformation

National Forces Alliance warned in their statement of “exploiting the second anniversary of the revolution by its opponents to deform the peacefulness of the protests and sit-ins, and creating riots and chaos to divert these demonstrations from their real goals.”

Muhammad Khalil Zarrog, a GNC member, does not view protests as source of fear “since those of legitimate demands do not fear declaring their identities or publically articulate their demands and since the sharp sensitivity of our people towards the risks threatening the country is its protecting fortress.”

The Baragtha clan called for “the need to adopt peaceful and civilizational methods and avoid all sorts of violence and vandalism.” Additionally, the Mashashia clan also denounced the use of force and bloodshed of Libyans by whatever method to achieve private, clan or regional demands or aims.

The clan statement also called for “accelerating the establishment of the state, building its institutions, activating the jurisdiction and holding accountable whoever committed crimes against Libyans.”

Zintan clans also declared – in their own statement – that “they are against any forced change and any action that may harmfully affect the country since change can be made but by the legitimacy brought by the revolution, represented in the elected GNC. However, Zintan clans did not hide “their sever disappointment at the GNC weak performance and failure to carry out its tasks.”

CSOs met in Benghazi with the presence of the city sages, sheiks and many of the revolutionary leaders to unify their demands and to balk the attempts of troublemakers and enemies, aiming at deforming the peaceful movement.

Worry and anticipation are the strongest feelings overwhelming common citizens fearing the repetition of scenarios that might negatively affect the conditions of their daily life. However they hope that what happens might push the country along the course of state building and stabilization.