Protests have started in the city of Tripoli in Libya as anger grows due to the lack of electricity Story

Protesters have blocked roads and the foreign ministry in Tripoli as a campaign against blackouts spreads across the country.

Protesters in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, have blocked roads and public buildings across the city as civil disobedience, triggered by long-term power cuts and power outages, spreads to many areas.

A crowd blocked the coastal road in Janzour, west of Tripoli, on Sunday, and gathered outside the West Tripoli power station, blocking the local council building in protest against the long-term shutdown.

Videos posted online, confirmed by Al Jazeera, show protesters burning tires until Sunday and blocking major roads elsewhere in the capital.

The footage also shows protesters unloading a truck full of dirt in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli’s Sater Turba district just before the closure.

Many young protesters also blocked the offices of the Libyan government in the Souq Al-Jumaa district, according to the Libya Review, carrying signs criticizing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

The operation was launched by the Souq Al-Jumaa Movement, which has been opposed to the Government of National Unity since May 2025. It said in a statement on Sunday that its aim was to “weaken the government” rather than disrupt ordinary life.

It called for accountability for corruption and the collapse of Libya’s political institutions, including the government, the House of Representatives, the State Council and the President.

The unrest also spread to Tajoura district, where the Tajoura Families and Youth Movement said it would begin a boycott of government agencies on Monday, rejecting the coalition government and the House of Representatives.

It said in its statement that the call was against the loss of jobs, in terms of the lack of electricity, water, education and health services, along with the continuation of oil and economic problems and the lack of medicine, while “the authorities are busy with political conflicts”.

There was no immediate comment from the Government of National Unity.

Power outages in Tripoli and other areas have reached 10 hours a day, prompting the state-owned General Electricity Company to resume power-cutting measures after two years of grid stability.

The crisis has added to public frustration over rising prices, currency instability, lack of oil and gas revenues, and political instability in Libya.

Separately, Massad Boulos, the White House adviser on economic affairs for Africa, said he had a “helpful call” with Dbeibah on Sunday to discuss ways to manage the Libyan unity, including security cooperation between the eastern and western regions of the country.

“We reviewed the possibility of improving cooperation and cooperation between the forces of Libya and Africom,” said Boulos on X, adding that Washington remained committed to supporting the Libyan coalition “to achieve sustainable peace, stability and development”.