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By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 5 November 2014:
Outrage, both national and international, at yesterday’s destruction of Tripoli’s famed Ghazala statue continues to flow in.
The European . . .[restrict]Union released a statement condemning the attacks on Libya’s heritage and landmarks, and saying that there was widespread dismay among European and international cultural circles.
Tripoli’s Municipal Council also quickly issued a statement yesterday, condemning the act. The Council said that they have spoken with authorities who are investigating the matter. They urged respect for Libya’s heritage.
Local residents and Libyans living abroad have joined in with their own condemnation, expressing dismay that such a beloved icon is gone. They took to Twitter with comments about it from the moment of discovery of its disappearance yesterday morning.
Libyan Youth Voices, on its website, posted a condemnation of the destructive act, as well as a compilation of various tweets bemoaning the event.
Many posted their thoughts about the irony of such an important landmark being taken at the same time that Omar Al-Hassi’s antigovernment and Libya Dawn spokespeople have been saying that Tripoli is now secure.
Hassi recently spoke of his administration’s ability to secure the capital and restore normality and stability in an interview with AFP.
“We have managed this in Tripoli. Since Libya Dawn took control of the capital, we have ended power cuts and fuel shortages and arrested dozens of criminals,” he was quoted as saying. “If we can do this in a city of over two million people, we can succeed in the whole country. “We urge the support of the international community in restoring stability. We are reaching out to them and trying to establish contacts with several countries,” Hassi said. [/restrict]
