Libya
Protesters take over state radio in LibyaPosted Feb 23 2011
In Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city, protesters took over a state-run radio station, according to the magazine Foreign Policy and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Foreign Policy blogger Blake Hounshell wrote “the radio commentary itself is gripping, with breathless amateur announcers calling on the international media to cover what ‘the criminal Qaddafi’ is doing and warning fellow Libyans about ‘foreign mercenaries.’”
One announcer said “this is Arab revolution not just a Libyan revolution. This is a Muslim revolution,” according to Foreign Policy.
Libya’s internal security forces arrested the news website Irasa director, Taqi al-Din al-Shalawi, and editor Abdel Fatah Bourwaq on Feb. 16.
“The blogger Mohammed al-Ashim Masmari was arrested the same day after giving interviews to several satellite TV stations including the Qatar-based Al Jazeera and the BBC’s Arabic service about the demonstrations,” according to Reporters Without Borders.
Local cable TV stations are not allowed to offer Al-Jazeera, and Internet service was cut off on Feb. 19. Al-Jazeera’s website was blocked and the broadcast was jammed, but the network continues to broadcast via satellite.
The English-language blog “Libya 17th February” is posting tweets about the continuing protests.