At least 4 anti-Gaddafi protesters killed in Tripoli

Troops and militiamen loyal to Libyan leader open fire on demonstrators streaming out of mosques in capital city; Gaddafi's son remains defiant, saying his family will "live and die in Libya."

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Libyan protests_311 (photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Libyan protests_311
(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Militias loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi opened fire on protesters streaming out of mosques in the Libyan capital on Friday, demanding the regime's ouster, witnesses said, reporting at least four killed. Across rebellious cities in the east, tens of thousands held rallies in support of the first Tripoli protests in days.
Protesters chanting for Gaddafi's ouster streamed out of mosques near downtown Tripoli's Green Square and other districts after prayers, and they were confronted by troops and militiamen who opened fire, said several witnesses. Gunmen on rooftops in streets near the square shot down on marchers, they said.
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The call for regime opponents march from mosques after prayers was the first attempt to hold a major anti-Gaddafi rally in the capital since militiamen launched a bloody crackdown on marchers early in the week that left dozens dead. SMS messages were sent around urging, "Let us make this Friday the Friday of liberation," residents said. The residents and witnesses all spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Gaddafi loyalists have clamped down hard in Tripoli, the center of the eroding territory that the Libyan leader's regime still controls. The uprising that began Feb. 15 has swept over nearly the entire eastern half of the country, breaking cities there out of his regime's hold.
Even in the pocket of northwestern Libya around Tripoli, several cities have also fallen into the hands of the rebellion. Militiamen and Gaddafi forces on Thursday were repelled in trying to take back opposition-held territory in the cities of Zawiya and Misrata, near the capital, in fighting that killed at least 30 people.
Starting Friday morning in Tripoli, pro-Gaddafi militiamen set up heavy security around many mosques in the city, trying to prevent any opposition gatherings. Armed young men with green armbands to show their support of Gadhafi set up checkpoints on many streets, stopping cars and searching them. Tanks and checkpoints lined the road to Tripoli's airport, witnesses said.
As gunfire raged downtown, gunmen opened fire on another march by thousands in Tajoura, a crowded impoverished district on the eastern side of the capital, a participant said. The crowd was moving down a main avenue toward Green Square when a hail of bullets hit, he said.
"We can't see where it is coming from," he said. "They don't want to stop." He said one man next to him was shot in the neck.
Signaling continued defiance, Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam, vowed his family will "live and die in Libya," according an excerpt from an interview to be aired later Friday on CNNTurk.
Asked about alternatives in the face of growing unrest, Gaddafi said: "Plan A is to live and die in Libya, Plan B is to live and die in Libya, Plan C is to live and die in Libya.
Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle East
Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle East