LIBYA: Video, photos appear to show protests turning violent

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Reports from Twitter, YouTube and witnesses speaking with the Al Jazeera satellite network detail semi-chaos overnight in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

Protesters from nearby towns converged on the city and marched with thousands from the capital to the central Green Square, which they occupied briefly before being confronted by security forces and supporters of Libyan leader Moammar leader, who came out in force after a late-night speech by Saif Kadafi, the leader’s son, according to Al Jazeera.

During the night, protesters broke into and burned a number of government buildings, Al Jazeera reported, including the state television building, the main courthouse, a large bank, an intelligence agency building and at least two police stations.

Protesters posted a video online, apparently showing one of the police stations, in Souq Jamaa, on fire. The video could not be independently verified.

Another protester, Flickr user a7fadmokhtar -- which means ‘grandchildren of Mukhtar’ in Arabic, a reference to Libyan resistance hero Omar Mukhtar -- posted one of the few photostreams of images from Benghazi.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske