The 2011 Libyan protests are an ongoing series of protests and confrontations occurring in the North African state of Libya against the government of Libya and its head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi. The unrest began on 13 January 2011 and continues to the present. Media outlets have reported the unrest as being inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, connecting the protests with the wider 2010–2011 Middle East and North Africa protests.
On 18 February, demonstrators took control over most of Benghazi, the country's second-largest city, with some support from police and defecting military units. The government reacted by sending elite troops and mercenaries, which were resisted by Benghazi's inhabitants and mutinying members of the military. By 20 February, more than 200 people had been killed in Benghazi.[7] Protests in Tripoli centred around Green Square. On 21 February, Libyan Air Force aircraft attacked civilian protesters in Tripoli, drawing international condemnation. The New York Times reported that "the crackdown in Libya has proven the bloodiest of the recent government actions."
Some Libyan diplomats have stepped down over the course of the protests while others have distanced themselves from Gaddafi and his government, declaring his current regime as illegitimate and accusing him of genocide and crimes against humanity in his attack against the people of Libya.