Clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces over the past few days have left at least 200 dead and many more wounded. The government has reacted strongly against demonstrators, with reports of gunfire and restricted hospital supplies. In a televised address Muammar Gaddafi’s son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi termed the demonstrators “seditious elements,” warning that Libya faced a civil war. “We will take up arms, we will fight to the last bullet,” he said. Restrictions on local and international media make it difficult to build an accurate picture of the demonstrations and to independently verify casualty numbers.

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Tags: freedom of expression, Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, press freedom, protesters killed, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

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