Protests spread across Tripoli over prolonged power cuts and high electricity rates

Protests have spread across Libya's capital, Tripoli, as a civil disobedience campaign over prolonged power cuts and high electricity rates widened to several districts. Demonstrators shut roads and public buildings, including the area around the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a sign of growing anger over deteriorating services. The unrest has also reached other parts of the city, with protesters targeting key roads and state-linked offices.

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According to confirmed reports, crowds blocked the coastal road in Janzour, west of Tripoli, late on Sunday and gathered outside the West Tripoli power station. The local municipal council building was also closed in protest at the outages. Video footage verified by the reporting outlet showed tyres being burned and major roads closed elsewhere in the capital.

In Sater Turba, protesters unloaded a truck of dirt in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to block access, while offices of the state telecoms operator Libyana were shut in Souq Al-Jumaa. The campaign was launched by the Souq Al-Jumaa Movement, which has opposed the Government of National Unity since May 2025. The group said its aim was to "completely paralyse the government" rather than disrupt ordinary life.

It has called for accountability over alleged corruption and for the dissolution of Libya's existing political institutions, including the government, the House of Representatives, the State Council and the Presidential Council. In Tajoura, the Tajoura Families and Youth Movement said it would begin a full boycott of state institutions on Monday. The protests matter because they reflect how service failures are feeding political pressure in a country where state institutions remain contested and public confidence is fragile.

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Electricity shortages have become a central grievance, with blackouts in Tripoli and other areas reaching up to 10 hours a day. The state-run General Electricity Company has reinstated load-shedding measures after two years of relative network stability, underlining the scale of the disruption. The unrest also highlights the wider strain on basic services beyond electricity.

The Tajoura statement cited worsening water, education and health services, as well as fuel and liquidity shortages and medicine scarcity. It also accused officials of being distracted by political conflict, suggesting the protests are being framed not only as a response to outages but as a broader challenge to governance. There was no immediate comment from the Government of National Unity.

It remains unclear how far the boycott call will spread or whether the protests will intensify in the coming days. What to watch next is whether authorities respond with concessions, security measures or public statements, and whether the campaign continues to expand beyond Tripoli into other districts.

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