ABSTRACT
In February 2011 Libya joined other countries of the Arab Spring, including Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen when popular protests broke out against Qad-dafi's decades' old authoritarian rule, which Libyans categorized as “system-less,” which implies a regime that was highly eccentric and that avoided building state institutions. Widespread protests called for the overthrow of the regime and for the establishment of democracy and respect for human rights and freedom. The protests that began in early January 2011 first had origins in popular dismay over the government's failure to resolve longstanding housing shortages. However, the issue of housing was not the essential cause behind the protests. People initiated the demonstrations concerning housing to convey indirectly deeper political feelings. These protests eventually escalated into an uprising that called for Qaddafi to step down. 1
