End Is Near For Gaddafi? Protests Spread to Tripoli

Meanwhile in the Tunisia's big neighbor Libya, protests seem to have finally broken out in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.

From Al Jazeera's Libya Live Blog for 2/20-21/2011:

11:30 pm Al Jazeera spoke to one protester on the phone, amid noisy crowds, who summarised the scene in the capital, Tripoli:

About one hour ago, 1500 to 2,000 people gathered and they blocked all roads and they burned anything owned by the government on the way. They are now burning a picture of the president, which is why the noise is so loud and everybody's happy - there's a woman on the balcony singing and screaming and loving it.

"We are in Tripoli, there are chants [directed at Gaddafi]: 'Where are you? Where are you? Come out if you're a man.' I believe we are heading toward Green Square, but to be honest, nobody controls these people and we are just going where we want.

"There are no police, no army, no security forces. Everything is blocked off by protesters - and, as we cross the town - where apartment buildings are filled with people who live here - we are picking people up on the way. Everybody has been waiting for this - and it's finally happening.

And...

12:11 am: Libya's ambassador to China, Hussein Sadiq al Musrati, has just resigned on air with Al Jazeera Arabic. He called on the army to intervene, and has called all diplomatic staff to resign.

He made claims about a gunfight between Gaddafi's sons and also claimed that Gaddafi may have left Libya. Al Jazeera has no confirmation of these claims.

So, the Saudi King may have another guest to his kingdom? Protests in Kuwait have entered the 3rd day, by the way.

UK's Guardian says it well in the title of the article, "'For Muammar Gaddafi it's kill or be killed'", quoting a Libyan opposition.

42 years is a long, long time.

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