Martyrs’ Square Draws Crowd to Support Libyan PM

Several thousand Libyans thronged the central Martyrs’ Square in Tripoli late on Friday for a state-funded mass wedding celebration that also drew supporters of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and protesters against the eastern-based parliament.

Dbeibah was installed in March through a U.N.-backed process to head a unity government after years of division, and to prepare for an election.

The election is planned for Dec. 24 but there is controversy over parliament’s handling of a law for the vote to take place and analysts fear unravel the peace process.

Many of the people who attended the Tripoli wedding celebration on Friday were there to protest against the parliament and back Dbeibah.

“We are fed up with the parliament. We elected them and we now ask them to get out. They have become a real headache,” said Ali al-Hamdi, 41, a shopkeeper.