The public anger and protest over the Rome meeting between the now-suspended Government of National Unity (GNU) Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush and her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in late August has continued this week.
On 29 August, several young people were arrested in Tripoli for protesting, and protestors from Zawiyya who attempted to enter the centre of the capital were prevented from doing so after the Ministry of Interior’s General Security Service blocked the road. The following day, videos circulated online showing members of armed groups firing live bullets at protestors in Tripoli in an attempt to disperse the protests.
Meanwhile, some of Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba’s key opponents have sought to capitalise on the incident and undermine his authority by rallying vehicles and protestors. On 2 September, Misratan leader Salah Badi reportedly gathered hundreds of vehicles in Misrata in a show of force and the following day announced a move to remove the Dabaiba government, calling on military councils to activate to coordinate their actions. Vehicles aligned with Zintani leader Osama Juwaili also engaged in a show of force in Aziziyya and Warshefana. Protests condemning the meeting and the GNU have continued in Misrata.