Backlash against terrorist militias in Libya as crowds drive jihadists from base in revenge for death of U.S. ambassador



Ansar al-Sharia thrown out of Benghazi compound by protesters and army

Group linked to death of Chris Stevens in raid on U.S. consulate last week



Hundreds of protesters in Libya have launched an attack on the jihadist militia responsible for killing the U.S. ambassador last week.



The pro-American backlash on Friday night saw the Ansar al-Sharia Brigade driven out of its base in the city of Benghazi, where Chris Stevens and three other U.S. officials were murdered in an attack on the local consulate.



The unprecedented movement suggests that ordinary Libyans are rising up against Al Qaeda fighters who seek to hijack the democratic reforms of the Arab Spring.

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Raid: Protesters have driven out the Ansar al-Sharia militia from its headquarters in Benghazi

Backlash: The raid suggests ordinary Libyans are turning against Islamists seeking to exploit the Arab Spring

Liberation: A demonstrator celebrates while standing on top of the militia's old headquarters

Ansar al-Sharia militants initially fired in the air to disperse the crowd, but eventually abandoned the site with their weapons and vehicles after it was overrun by waves of protesters shouting 'No to militias.'



'I don't want to see armed men wearing Afghani-style clothes stopping me in the street to give me orders, I only want to see people in uniform,' said Omar Mohammed, a college student who took part in the takeover of the site.

No deaths were reported in the incident, which came after tens of thousands marched in Benghazi against armed militias. One vehicle was also burned at the compound.



For many Libyans, the September 11 consulate attack was the last straw in one of the biggest problems Libya has faced since the death of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi last year - the multiple mini-armies that with their arsenals of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades are stronger than the regular armed forces and police.



The militias, a legacy of the rag-tag popular forces that fought Gaddafi's regime, call themselves protectors of Libya's revolution, providing security where police cannot. But many say they act like gangs, detaining and intimidating rivals and carrying out killings.



Victory: Civilians watch on as much of the base in central Benghazi goes up in smoke on Friday night

Celebration: Demonstrators cheer after storming the headquarters of the Ansar al-Sharia

Carnage: Although no deaths were reported, several vehicles appeared to be burned out

Militias made up of Islamic radicals like Ansar al-Sharia are notorious for attacks on Muslims who do not follow their hardline ideology. Officials and witnesses say fighters from Ansar al-Sharia led the attack on the U.S. consulate.



After taking over the Ansar compound, protesters then drove to attack the Benghazi headquarters of another Islamist militia, Rafallah Sahati. The militiamen opened fire on the protesters, who were largely unarmed.



At least 20 were wounded, and there were unconfirmed reports of three protesters being killed.



Earlier in the day, some 30,000 people filled a broad boulevard as they marched along a lake in central Benghazi to the gates of the headquarters of Ansar al-Sharia.



Support: On a march through Benghazi, many expressed sympathy with U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens

Dissent: Mr Stevens, who died in a raid on the U.S. consulate last Tuesday, was popular in Libya

Mourning: Mr Stevens, pictured with Hillary Clinton, was an experienced diplomat

'No, no, to militias,' the crowd chanted. They carried banners and signs demanding that militias disband and that the government build up police to take their place in keeping security.



'Benghazi is in a trap,' signs read. 'Where is the army, where is the police?'



Other signs mourned the killing of Mr Stevens, reading, 'The ambassador was Libya's friend' and 'Libya lost a friend'.

Military helicopters and fighter jets flew overhead, and police mingled in the crowd, buoyed by the support of the protesters.



The march was the biggest seen in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city and home to 1million people, since the fall of Gaddafi in August 2011. The public backlash comes in part in frustration with the interim government, which has been unable to rein in the armed factions.



Many say that officials' attempts to co-opt fighters by paying them have only fueled the growth of militias without bringing them under state control or integrating them into the regular forces.





VIDEO: Protesters storm the headquarters of Ansar al-Sharia. ..