Many people are rightfully uplifting the protests that took place in Egypt this month for being largely non-violent and peaceful. As many predicted, Egypt’s successful protest model has spread to surrounding countries – each calling for removal of a tyrannical leader. However, the question still remains, how effectively can the mostly peaceful Egyptian protest be replicated in other countries?
Egypt’s neighbor, Libya, unfortunately is not having the same peaceful result. Military dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi has met opponents of the government and citizen protesters with thousands of Libyan forces. The New York Times explained that as of 2/23/11, human rights groups have put a death toll around 300 people. However Italian foreign minister, Franco Frattini (with close ties to Libya), has claimed that the actual death toll from the protests is well over 1000.
The New York Times explains, “Thousands of Libyan forces loyal to Colonel Qaddafi have deployed there, according to Reuters, in an attempt to extend the brutal crackdown that gathered pace in the capital after Colonel Qaddafi’s defiant television address on Tuesday calling for ordinary citizens to help hunt down opponents “house by house.”
A Doctor from Sabratha, Libya explained, “The revolutionary committees are trying to kill everyone who is against Qaddafi.”
We will have to see if the protests in the Middle East and Africa can regain peaceful origins or if bloodshed and violence is the unfortunate consequence for the uprisings.
Link to New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/world/africa/24libya.html?_r=1&hp