Live: Unrest in Libya

Violent unrest against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi spread to the capital Tripoli as his son warned that the protests threatened to sink the oil-rich nation into civil war. Follow the latest events on our live blog.

By FRANCE 24 (text)

Libyan Unrest

(02/21/2011)

04:50

FRANCE 24: (Reuters): Support for Gaddafi, the son of a herdsman who seized power in 1969, among Libya's desert tribes was also waning. The leader of the eastern Al-Zuwayya tribe threatened to cut oil exports unless authorities halted what he called the "oppression of protesters".Speaking to Al Jazeera television, Shaikh Faraj al Zuway said: "We will stop oil exports to Western countries within 24 hours" if the violence did not stop.kram Al-Warfalli, a leading figure in the Al Warfalla tribe, told Al Jazeera: "We tell the brother (Gaddafi), well he's no longer a brother, we tell him to leave the country." Monday February 21, 2011 04:50 FRANCE 24

04:47

Cyrenaican: The #Gaddafi regime sees division in #Libya as its existential guarantor #Feb17 [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 04:47 Cyrenaican

04:09

LKhalilTRT: Salaheddine Hospital in #Tripoli receiving "multiple" victims at this hour. Many with gunshot wounds to the head and chest #Libya [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 04:09 LKhalilTRT

03:55

FRANCE 24: Libyan State TV images showing large crowds of pro-Gaddafi protesters cheering and chanting in the streets of Libyan capital Tripoli. Monday February 21, 2011 03:55 FRANCE 24

03:54

FRANCE 24: (AUDIO) LKhalilTRT on Twitter: "It's a massacre in #Benghazi and #Tripoli, the #Libyan regime got crazy..." NEW audio from inside #LIBYA http://ht.ly/405Tw Monday February 21, 2011 03:54 FRANCE 24

03:52

FRANCE 24: (Reuters) The United States is weighing "all appropriate actions" in response to Libya's violent crackdown on protesters and is analyzing a televised address by the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to see if there are prospects for meaningful reform, a U.S. official said on Sunday. Monday February 21, 2011 03:52 FRANCE 24

03:50

LKhalilTRT: I am speaking to a woman in #Sebha #Libya now who says the city is on lockdown by military. #Sebha is the hometown of Muammar #Gaddafi [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 03:50 LKhalilTRT

03:50

LKhalilTRT: With the 1.000km shift of revolt from #Benghazi to #Tripoli, the #Gaddafi regime is in a real fight to hold on to power. #Libya [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 03:50 LKhalilTRT

03:35

weddady: Kaddafi junior’s speech was primarily aimed to scare the West more than Libyans: chaos, islamists & oil supplies disruption #Libya [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 03:35 weddady

03:25

FRANCE 24: (REUTERS) Protesters in the streets of the Libyan capital were throwing stones at billboards of leader Muammar Gaddafi while police used tear gas to try to disperse them, an expatriate worker told Reuters. "People are in the street chanting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) and throwing stones at photos of Gaddafi," the man told Reuters by telephone from Tripoli. "The police are firing tear gas everywhere, it's even getting into the houses." Monday February 21, 2011 03:25 FRANCE 24

02:49

FRANCE 24: Here are the highlights of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's speech late Sunday: Reform: "Tomorrow we conduct a historic national initiative, within 48 hours, three days, 6 hours, to call for a General People's Congress with a clear agenda that is to adopt a battery of laws that had initially been agreed upon, the press law, the civil society. Civilised laws that, new laws ... widens freedoms, cancel many of the exisiting hinderances and silly existing punishments and initiates a national dialogue on a Libyan constitution." Monday February 21, 2011 02:49 FRANCE 24

02:47

FRANCE 24: Human Rights Watch calls on Libyan government to halt unlawful killings. Read more Monday February 21, 2011 02:47 FRANCE 24

02:45

Libyayalibya: After #Seif’s speech the city of #Tripoli turned to a battlefield. Please #God protect them. #Libya. [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 02:45 Libyayalibya

02:38

FRANCE 24: Intense gunfire was heard early Monday in the heart of the Libyan capital Tripoli and several quarters of the city for the first time since the anti-regime uprising, witnesses and an AFP journalist reported. The bursts of gunfire intensified after a television speech by Saif al-Islam Kadhafi in which he warned that the country was on the verge of civil war and risked a bloodbath. He also said the uprising would be ruthlessly crushed. Confusion prevailed in the capital where the sounds of gunfire were interpersed with women ululating and driving hooting their car horns. "We are hearing bursts of gunfire everywhere and they are approaching the city centre," a resident of the Al-Andalous quarter told AFP. Monday February 21, 2011 02:38 FRANCE 24

02:34

EnoughGaddafi: Unconfirmed reports of horrible violence in #tripoli as gaddafi forces continue to shoot unarmed people #libya #feb17 [via Twitter] Monday February 21, 2011 02:34 EnoughGaddafi

02:33

FRANCE 24: (REUTERS): Libyan leader Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, 38, is a fluent English speaker with a PhD from the London School of Economics. He is widely seen as belonging to a camp that aims to open Libya's economy. Monday February 21, 2011 02:33 FRANCE 24

02:25

Protesters in eastern Libyan citly of Darna react to Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam's address on state TV . ©EnoughGaddafi on Twitter Monday February 21, 2011 02:25

02:17

FRANCE 24: (AP) : After anti-government unrest spread to the Libyan capital and protesters seized military bases and weapons Sunday, Moammar Gadhafi's son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army's backing and would ``fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet.'' Read more Monday February 21, 2011 02:17 FRANCE 24

Monday February 21, 2011