Libya.. Protesters Set Part of the Prime Minister's Building in Tripoli on Fire

SadaNews - Protesters from football fans set part of the Prime Minister's building of the national unity government in central Tripoli on fire late Thursday to Friday, accusing the family of the Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeiba, of favoring one of the Libyan league teams at the expense of others.

This incident followed an invasion by fans of the Al-Ittihad Tripoli club onto the pitch on Thursday evening, protesting the failure to award a penalty kick in the final minutes of a match they were playing at the Tarhuna Stadium against the Al-Suwahli Misrata team, as part of the western region's championship playoffs.

Stadium cameras captured the sound of gunfire and chaos inside the field, along with scenes of injured individuals being transported by an ambulance, as armed forces intervened and fired to disperse the fans who entered without permission, as Libyan league matches are being held without spectators. The Tripoli government has yet to comment on the incident.

For his part, Abdullah Farag, the director of the sports city in Tarhuna, confirmed in a press statement that the riots led to fires in the live broadcast vehicle and some facilities of the stadium.

Simultaneously with the match, the "Bab Ben Ghacheer" area, not far from the presidency building and where the Al-Ittihad club is located, witnessed riots and an attack on a security team's vehicle, followed by a demonstration by a group of youth in front of the presidency building, where they launched heavy fireworks towards the structure, causing fires in some corners before being dispersed, and safety devices began to extinguish the fire. As of now, there are no reports about the extent of the damage to the building or any injuries from the protests inside and outside the stadium.