Nowhere is that reality more palpable than in Tajoura, a district of the capital and Qaddafi stronghold Tripoli where hundreds of people had dared to hold anti-government protests after an uprising began on Feb. 17.
As Western powers launch air and missile strikes to protect civilians caught up in the Libyan leader’s crackdown against rebels, there were no signs on Friday that residents of the working class area were emboldened to step up their defiance.
Just a few Fridays ago after prayers, hundreds of Libyans gathered outside a Tajoura mosque and chanted anti-Qaddafi slogans, vowing to bring him down.
Even activists who had previously been arrested or were on the run showed up and took part. The change in mood is striking.
Two men standing near the mosque said state security agencies and pro-Qaddafi militiamen had been tightening their grip on the area and residents were too terrified to protest.
“People are very scared these days. They are watching from everywhere. Even from the rooftops,” said one of the men, who asked not to be named as the other looked around nervously.
As they spoke, shots could be heard in the distance and open-back trucks — the vehicles of choice for Qaddafi’s militias — cruised through abandoned streets.
“Last Friday 200 of them came to the mosque and prayed with us. They were armed, they intimidated us. They told us to stop protesting.”
In the city of Misrata, forces loyal to Qaddafi shelled an area on the outskirts of the city of Misrata on Friday, killing six people including three children, a rebel said.
The Libyan port, the North African country’s third biggest city, has experienced some of the heaviest fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Qaddafi since an uprising began on Feb. 16.
“There was shelling this morning and almost all of the day; it targeted a residential area on the outskirts of Misrata called Al Jazeera. Six people were killed including three sisters aged 2, 5 and 12 years old,” rebel Saadoun said by telephone.
“This residential compound is northwest of Misrata and they attacked it with mortars and tanks.”
He also said around 10 to 12 tanks had entered the city center on Friday evening around the area of Tripoli Street.
“They shelled for while then left. We had an encounter with snipers today and some were forced to leave the buildings. Some were killed and others fled,” he said. “We do not have exact figures of their casualties but three of our fighters were killed.” The report could not be verified independently.
Officials and rebels said on Friday aid organizations were able to deliver some supplies to Misrata.
“There is a fairly regular supply going into Misrata,” Simon Brooks, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross operations in eastern Libya, told Reuters.
“But we are deeply concerned about the reports we are receiving about fighting in the city.”
Casualties have overwhelmed the local medical clinic and prompted international concern about the safety of civilians.
“It is still difficult to get out of Misrata. The snipers are still hiding in buildings on Tripoli Street,” rebel spokesman Sami said earlier when reached by satellite phone. “It is the main thoroughfare that takes you to the city center.”
The two men, and many others, are familiar with the stakes. Some of their relatives and friends — inspired by revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia — have been detained for protesting.
“They tell people that they will release their relatives if they don’t protest after Friday prayers. That’s why things have quietened down in Tajoura,” said one of the men.
Libyan officials deny using arrests to silence protests. They say only armed gangs and people linked to Al-Qaeda are arrested.
But his opponents say fear has been a very effective tool for Qaddafi, who has survived coup attempts and assassination plots during 41 years of rule.
At a Tajoura coffee shop, only one man was willing to discuss what was happening in Libya. He said what government agents would like to hear most — that Al-Qaeda and Western imperialists are behind Libya’s unrest and no political change was needed.
“There were no protests in Tajoura before. These were people who were influenced by Al-Qaeda,” said Hamza al Hader. “We must fight back against the West. I am ready to be a suicide bomber.”
Along Tajoura’s main street, two bearded men at another mosque confirmed what the others said. “They (state security) are all over the place,” one said.
Minutes later a plainclothes state security agent with a pistol and others in irregular military uniforms swarmed around a government minder and two reporters he was accompanying. Soon six vehicles, including a police wagon, were on hand.
After the minder was questioned for 40 minutes, one of the security men said that the area was dangerous for foreigners because armed gangs and Al-Qaeda were a security threat.
Qaddafi has said he will arm all Libyans so that the north African oil exporter could defeat what he calls a colonialist crusader aggression and Al-Qaeda.
Libyan officials say Western air strikes and cruise missile attacks have killed about 100 civilians, as well as soldiers. Some strikes have taken place in Tajoura, where a military base is located.
In another part of Tajoura, people streamed out of a mosque after praying for the souls of two relatives they said were killed by a Western air strike at a nearby military barracks.
Asked if he was worried about Libya’s future, one of the mourners said: “We are scared to tell the truth. My heart is heavy. I am too scared to tell the truth.”
