'We will not let Libya go. We will fight to the last man, the last bullet'
Live updates of anti-government protests in Libya
12.16am: The fall-out from events in Libya appears to be taking a toll among representatives of the regime abroad.
Al Jazeera has reported that the Libyan ambassador to China resigned earlier this evening during an interview live on air.
Now, BBC Arabic is reporting that the Libyan ambassador to India has also resigned from his post in protest at the violence being used to suppress the protests at home.
12.10am: You can read a profile of Saif, written by the Guardian's Middle East Editor, Ian Black, here.
11.59pm: It appears from the role played tonight by Saif al-Gaddafi that the Libyan dictator's son is destined to play a key role in whatever events shape Libyan history in the days ahead.
An Anglophile who studied a the London School of Economics, his strong connections to connections Britain will no doubt be of great interest to many.
11.55pm: Back to some more segments from Saif's address, which is being met with widespread derision by opponents of the Libyan regime on twitter and elsewhere.
Muammar Gaddafi's son said that his father remained in the country and was backed by the army.
"We will fight to the last minute, until the last bullet," he added.
Earlier, he admitted protesters have seized control of some military bases, weapons and tanks.
"We are not Tunisia and Egypt," he went on to insist, referring to the successful uprisings that toppled longtime regimes in Libya's neighbors.
11.49pm: While Saif Gaddafi has been speaking, reports have been streaming in of how the unrest appears to be spreading to Tripoli from other cities.
This is from Reuters:
Libya's unrest spread to the capital Tripoli on Sunday after scores of protesters were killed in the second city Benghazi, which appeared to have slipped out of control of forces loyal to strongman Muammar Gaddafi.Gadda fi has attempted to put down protests with a violent crackdown, triggering some of the worst bloodshed in the two months since unrest began sweeping across the Arab world.
In the first sign of serious unrest in the capital, thousands of protesters clashed with supporters of Gadaffi in Tripoli. Gunfire could be heard and police using tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
In Benghazi, centre of Libya's unrest, tens of thousands of people took to the streets and appeared to be in control of the city before security forces opened fire and killed scores.
Benghazi residents said soldiers from a unit had joined their protest and defeated a force Gaddafi's elite guards. Bodies were brought to a hospital riddled with bullets and wounds from rocket-propelled grenades.
A witness in Tripoli said police in the capital were using tear gas against protesters, some of whom were throwing stones at billboards of Gaddafi.
A resident of the capital told Reuters by telephone he could hear gunshots in the streets. "We're inside the house and the lights are out. There are gunshots in the street," he said. "That's what I hear, gunshots and people. I can't go outside."
An expatriate worker said protesters were being dispersed by police and he could see burning cars in the capital.
11.48pm: Saif, who has in the past pushed a reform agenda in Libya with only limited success, also appeared to hold out a carrot.
He said the General People's Congress, Libya's equivalent of a parliament, would convene on Monday to discuss a "clear" reform agenda, while the government would also raise wages.
11.45pm: He also referred to the telephone conversation he had with William Hague earlier in the day and insinuated that the call from London was a sinister sign of things to come.
"The British foreign minister has given me a phone call," he said, according to early translations of the statement.
"Be ready because that means that foreign occupation is coming back to Libya"
Going on! , he app eared intent on depicting the uprising as an attempt to establish Islamic emirates in Libya and warned viewers that this would bring down the wrath of the US and Europe
"The west and America will not allow any Islamic emirates to be formed in the middle east. They will not allow chaos in Libya. They will not allow chaos that would result in chaos and terrorism."
11.42pm: Gaddafi's son issued a series of warnings that appeared designed to spread fear among the general population and deter them from joining the uprising.
The warnings ranged from predicting that the price of bread would rocket to warning that foreign oil companies would pull out of Libya. He predicted that the country would be plunged into civil war if those who had taken up arms against the state did not pull back.
11.36pm: In a long and rambling address to the Libyan people live on state television, Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif, has been warning that the uprising against the regime is doomed to fail.
"This is an opposition movement, a separatist movement that threatens the unity of Libya as a country," according to the BBC translation of what Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said.
He claimed that the number of "casualties" has not exceeded 84 but has accused the foreign media of exaggerating the death toll in the city of Benghazi.
There was a mistake on the Army's side when it came to confronting the protests, he said, adding that some of those who attacked the soldiers were "under the influence of drugs".
He claimed that at least three different groups are involved in the protests, one of which he described as "islamic".
It's unclear at this stage who he is referring to, be he claims that the government have made a series of arrests and have detained outsiders who he said were brought into the country to foment unrest.
He claimed that there was a plan by those seeking to overthrow the government to create a series of small emirates in Libya.
11.33pm: Hello. This is a new live blog cover! ing deve lopments in Libya.
Comments