Libya electricity blackout protests expose country’s failing grid

Night in Libya no longer begins with sunset, but with the hum of private generators as entire neighbourhoods are plunged into darkness and those unable to afford alternative power are left to endure the heat.Amid a blistering heatwave with temperatures exceeding 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit), chronic power cuts have ignited a new wave of protests and civil disobedience across the capital, Tripoli, and surrounding areas.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Protests erupt in Libya’s Tripoli as anger grows over power cutslist 2 of 3Why Mali’s northern conflict has entered a dangerous new phaselist 3 of 3Trump’s latest ‘forced labour tariffs’: Who’s been hit, how badly?end of listFrustrated by outages lasting around 10 hours a day, predominantly young protesters have shut down major roads, burned tyres, and blockaded public buildings. Demonstrators also emptied a truckload of earth outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli, blocking access to the building, as they demanded accountability for alleged corruption and the immediate dissolution of Libya’s fractured political institutions.The civil disobedience campaign, spearheaded by the Souq Al-Jumaa Moveme...