There were widespread calls for mass demonstrations against the Abdul Hameed Dabaiba government on Friday evening (16 May), with pro-Dabaiba actors warning they were ‘suspicious’ while anti-Dabaiba figures gave their support to protestors. While the main protests were peaceful, protests at the PM Office descended into violence.
In the run up to the planned demonstrations, UNSMIL emphasized that Libyans have the right to protest peacefully and cautioned against any violence. The UN reminded all parties that they must protect civilians, and that using force against peaceful protesters is a grave human rights violation that could constitute international crimes.
In the afternoon, the Dar al-Ifta, which is headed by Grand Mufti al-Sadiq al-Ghariani, urged citizens to avoid demonstrations in Tripoli, labeling them as suspicious and politically motivated. The statement accused those organizing the protests of seeking to empower Khalifa Haftar and his allies, warning that participation could lead to legal consequences for violating public order and supporting oppressive forces.
In the evening, several thousand protesters from Tripoli, Zawiyya, and several other cities in the coastal plain gathered at Martyr’s Square to protest against the government of PM Dabaiba and demand elections. The demonstration remained peacefully.
At about 8 pm a group of several hundred protesters moved towards al-Sikka Road where the PM Office is located. A number of them threw stones at the security forces protecting the PM Office, damaged the fence and attempted to break into the compound of the PM Office. Subsequently, security forces opened fire to disperse the rioters.]
A number of protesters were wounded. One or two protesters were killed. A police officer was wounded by a random gunshot at al-Ghazala square in the centre of Tripoli and died later on.
There were also reports of sabotage to telecommunications services around the time of the protests, with many in Tripoli reporting reduced internet speed and access. The following day, LPTIC said that an incident at a key station in Abu Salim had caused an outage at the station, affecting services.