Khadrawi believes that what Libya has achieved up to today is “a revolution in the world of democracy after four decades of totalitarianism,” and he asked everyone to be patient for a couple of months until citizens begin to feel the effects of change.
Stealing the revolution
Many people disagree with the ban on peaceful protests, believing these protests represent a cry of pain, as noted by Hanaa al-Qalal, a law professor at Benghazi University. She also considered the Feb. 15 movement “an action against the people who stole the revolution and reached power at the expense of the blood of martyrs.” She described the coming movement as “the cry of citizens whose money is stolen and squandered while they still suffer from marginalization and bad service in primary sectors such as health and education.”
However, Qalal thought that “it was normal for some people to try to benefit from the public movement to advance personal agendas, while others fear this movement because it will unjustly make them lose gains they had acquired. This might be the start of strife, amid a war of rumors and attempts to take over the movement.” Qalal added, “Benghazi, the city of the Libyan revolution, is dealing with all those who have benefitted from power and those who were harmed by the revolution. Its citizens are standing tall and firm to defend the path and principles of the revolution.” She emphasized the peaceful nature of the movement. Her intention was to make new politicians understand that the revolution was launched against financial and administrative corruption and abuse of human rights, in order to restore security and safety.
Anti-revolution
On the other hand, it seems ironic that, on the day that Libyans are supposed to celebrate the second anniversary of the Feb. 17 Revolution, there are calls to turn it into a chance for a new revolution. Author Ismail al-Qaraytali expressed this opinion in an interview with Al-Hayat in which he asked, “Whom will the revolution target?” He indicated that “all signs confirm that it is directed against political opponents, or partners in the nation, not against a tyrant who has oppressed his country for decades. Some people rely, in their arguments, on the government’s behavior, which has not met society’s expectations. Although this argument is incontestable, it seems that the performance or behavior of the ruling power here indicates, more accurately, its response to the demands of some cities or parties, or even certain movements.”