Gaddafi supporters counter Libya's "day of rage"

In a country where public dissent is rarely tolerated, plans for the protests were being circulated by anonymous activists on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter but telephone lines to some parts of the country were out of order.In Tripoli, near the city's Green Square, pro-Gaddafi crowds waved portraits of the premier and chanted their support for him.

"I live in security and I want my country to live in security. To the Libyan people I say please do not make yourself a laughing stock. We the Libyans are living a good live," said Sief Alnnaser who had joined the demonstration.

"We came here to the Green Square because we love our leader. Everybody from educational institutions and general public administrations came here to the square because of their love for the leader. We cannot do without our leader," added another demonstrator, Rida Mohamed.

Muammar Gaddafi has held Libyan leadership for over 40 years and is Africa's longest-serving premier - during which time he has accumulated immense oil wealth.

There were no indications of antigovernment demonstrations in the capital of the oil exporting country.

But a resident of the eastern city of Benghazi said there were clashes on Thursday in the nearby town of Al Bayda between government supporters and relatives of two young men killed during a protest a day earlier.

Pro-Gaddafi protesters in Tripoli condemned international media - and Al Jazeera in particular - for focusing on the unrest.

"I say to Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and BBC channel who reported about some people in Benghazi that those people are traitors and not national Libyans. Only we are the free sons of Libya," said Ahmed Rehabi.

Though some Libyans complain about unemployment, inequality and limits on political freedoms, analysts say an Egypt-style revolt is unlikely because the government can use oil revenues to smooth over most social problems.

Libya accounts for about 2 percent of the world's crude exports. Companies including Shell, BP and Eni have invested billions of dollars in tapping its oil fields, home to the largest proven reserves in Africa.

Opposition activists designated Thursday as a "day of rage" in reference to the anniversary of clashes on the same date in 2006 (February 17) in Benghazi when security forces killed several protesters who were attacking the city's Italian consulate.