Major protest sites of the world: Libya's Tripoli Square (Part-3)

New Delhi: Carrying forward our series on major protest sites of the world, today we pick Libya's Tripoli Square. Lets do a quick check about the significance of this protest site. Libya was a colony of Italy. In 1930, Italian architects built many famous monuments during their reign. They built the 'Piazza Italia' or 'Italy Square' in Tripoli, the capital of Libya. After Libya gained independence in 1951, the square was renamed 'Independence Square' during the period of Libyan monarchy from 1951-1969. The square leads to the path which goes straight to the palace of King Idris. But after the army coup led by Col Muammar Gaddafi in 1969, its name was changed to Green Square. In 2011, after 42 years of dictatorship, the people of Libya raised their voice against the mis-rule of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. They gathered at Tripoli Square to de-throne the dictator but they had to face pro-Gaddafi supporters carrying arms, who fired indiscriminately on them. After the deadly protest which witnessed bloodshed in Tripoli Square, in August 2011 it was renamed as 'Martyr Square' when the rebel group got control over the capital of Libya. On Eid-Ul-Fitr, the Libyan people gathered at Martyr Square to pay tributes to the martyrs of the deadly protest against the dictator. When General Gaddafi wasapprehended and killed by rebel fighters, lakhs of Libyan people celebrated the "second independence" in Tripoli Square, also known as Martyr Square on 2nd September 2011.