LIBYA: Rebel fighters and supporters pour into Green Square
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Rebel fighters and their supporters poured into the Libyan capital’s main square early Monday, firing weapons into the air and waving opposition flags on what had been the stage for nightly demonstrations in support of Moammar Kadafi’s regime.
Television footage from Green Square, which the rebels are now calling Martyrs Square, showed men ripping down posters of Kadafi and setting fire to the green flag of his regime as others danced and flashed victory signs.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr was with the rebels when they entered the square.
Photos: Battle for Tripoli, ongoing conflict in Libya
‘There’s a party in the Libyan capital tonight,’ she said. ‘The people are in charge. They’ve decided the square is now called Martyrs Square, the original name. They’re shouting ‘We’re free’ and even shooting at Kadafi’s poster.’
There were similar scenes of jubilation in the rebels’ de facto capital, Benghazi, where thousands celebrated in the streets.
The rebels met little resistance Sunday as they swept into the heart of the Libyan capital, backed by NATO airstrikes and uprisings in neighborhoods across Tripoli. But the poorly trained and undisciplined fighters have made dramatic advances in the past only to be pushed back by Kadafi loyalists.
Kadafi’s whereabouts were unknown Monday.
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-- Alexandra Zavis
