Wave of protest spreads over to Lybia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hundreds of Libyan protesters have taken to the streets of the country's second-largest city to demand the government's ouster in the first sign that the region's unrest has spread to the North African Arab nation.

Witnesses say protesters in the port city of Benghazi chanted slogans Feb 16 demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi. There were no calls, however, for longtime leader Mummar Gaddafi to step down.

As in the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings, Libyans are using social networking websites like Facebook to call for a day of protests on Feb 17, AP reported.

Libyan state television said that rallies were being held across the oil exporting country in support of Gaddafi, who is Africa's longest serving leader. According to the reports from Benghazi, the unrest was triggered by the arrest of a rights campaigner Fethi Tarbel.