Tense Scenes In Former Rebel Stronghold Of Zawiyah As Sky's Stuart Ramsay Reports From Rally | Sky Newsnews.sky.com/skynews/Home/W…#Libya #Feb17
Libya: Tension In Former Rebel Stronghold
3:40am UK, Thursday July 21, 2011
As the Nato bombing campaign on Libya enters its fifth month, Colonel Gaddafi's government says a series of rallies in major western cities are proof his support base is, if anything, getting stronger.Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay has been taken to all these rallies in recent weeks.
The most recent saw tens of thousands gathered in the town Zawiyah, a former rebel stronghold and the scene of a brutal crackdown in early March.
Thousands chanted slogans of support for Col Gaddafi in the town
And he reports that unlike other towns, there was a distinct tension in the air: metal detectors on routes to the central square aimed at stopping anti-government attacks and soldiers watching out for rebel activity.
"There are a few thousand people in the square but one mustn't forget that Zawiyah is a town of 200,000 people and given the level of opposition to Col Gaddafi in the past - the amount of destruction, the amount of fighting that took place here - it simply beggars belief that there's been a collective decision by the people of this town to forgive Col Gaddafi.
Soldiers were seen watching out for rebel activity
"In fact the rebels tell us that they're preparing to attack once again and take Zawiyah back."
:: Ramsay sent his video report from Tripoli under the supervision of the Libyan authorities.
