Libyan residents residing in the country's capital of Tripoli reportedly went on a general strike Sunday in protest of the weekend's militia violence that killed close to 50 people, according to the Associated Press.
The city's businesses and schools will be closed for at least three days according to the report, but bakeries, pharmacies, hospitals and gas stations remained open. Residents also set up checkpoints throughout the capital in order to "protect their neighborhoods, fearing renewed violence."
Libya's state news agency LANA also reported Sunday that the Misrata militia, who is accused of killing 43 people at a protest last Friday, have abandoned their headquarters in the neighborhood of Gharghour. The Libya Shield-Central Command, a government-affiliated militia, told LANA it was "in control" of Gharghour and has vowed to turn it over to the government late Saturday.
Many militias have transformed residential compounds and villas from the Gaddafi era into depots and camps for storing weapons, according to the report. On Sunday, Libya's Prime Minister called on militias to "leave the capital and allow the government, the police and the army to work." The Misrata militia in particular has a strong presence in Tripoli.
