10-Hour Blackout Triggers Mass Fury, Government Offices and Roads Blocked
A wave of protest has spread across the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after residents launched acts of civil disobedience in protest at prolonged power cuts and high electricity tariffs. Crowds have closed a number of main roads, government offices and public facilities.
The action was spearheaded by the Souq Al-Jumaa Movement, which said its target was not merely to disrupt daily life but to “paralyse the government entirely”. In a statement issued on Sunday, the group also demanded accountability over alleged corruption and the dissolution of Libya’s political institutions, including the government, the House of Representatives, the State Council and the Presidential Council.
Quoting Al Jazeera on Monday (27/7/2026), demonstrators blockaded the coastal road in the Janzour area west of Tripoli, and gathered in front of the West Tripoli Power Plant to protest against outages lasting many hours each day. Verified footage showed crowds burning tyres, closing main roads and dumping truckloads of earth in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to block access to the building.
The protests also targeted the offices of the state-owned telecommunications operator Libyana in the Souq Al-Jumaa district. The demonstrators, mostly young people, carried banners criticising Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Meanwhile, the wave of civil disobedience has spread to the Tajoura area east of Tripoli. Video footage showed demonstrators putting up notices declaring the city’s government offices closed.
The movement in Tajoura has even called for a total boycott of all state institutions from Monday, while rejecting the legitimacy of the Government of National Unity and the House of Representatives. In its statement, the group said the action was a response to the continued deterioration of public services.
The Government of National Unity has yet to issue an official response to the protests. Meanwhile, power cuts in Tripoli and several other areas are reported to have reached up to ten hours a day.
The situation has forced Libya’s General Electricity Company to reintroduce rolling blackouts after roughly two years of relative network stability. The electricity crisis is deepening public discontent already burdened by inflation, a weakening currency, fuel shortages, limited liquidity and a political deadlock that has persisted for years.