Gaddafi Dead: Libyans Celebrate in London Streets

Hundreds of Libyans have began jubilant celebrations in London, after the momentous news of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s death.

Reports of Qaddafi’s death began to surface on and off line at approximately 3pm BST, as Libyans around the world waited in anxiety for confirmation. By 6pm local time, after eight turbulent months, millions received their verification when Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) announced the dictator was finally dead.

In London, tens of hundreds of Libyans descended upon Edgware Road to begin celebrations in the street, long into the night. A cacophony of sounds; drumbeats, singing and general cheering resonated along the capital’s Arab centre-point, as Libyans celebrated the end of a 42-year tyranny.

Guma al Gamati, co-ordinator in the UK for Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), triumphantly said:

“It’s been a great day. A momentous day; very symbolic. It marks the end of a long episode of suffering and killings; oppression and tyranny in Libya. At last the Libyan people can say that they are free, and at last they can say proudly that they stood up to the tyrant Qaddafi eight months ago and went through a great revolution. They have sacrificed a lot. They have succeeded and today they are victorious because the end of Qaddafi has been witnessed and seen today at last”.

I put to the NTC representative, whether he thought true justice had been served in the circumstances of Qaddafi’s brutal death, images which proved even too graphic for some news bulletins as they were broadcast around the world.

“I think ideally it would have been better if he was arrested and stayed alive and put on trial. But it looks like there was an exchange of fire and he was badly injured, and did not survive his injury and he died as a result”. Al Gamati continued: “I don’t think it was an intention to kill him but maybe there was an exchange of fire and he was hit badly by bullets.”

Meanwhile emotional Libyans - of all ages - continued to sing, dance and display flamboyant scenes of triumph, around the Marble Arch streets. A couple to teenagers, one who had experienced the revolution first-hand, offered an alternative perspective of what the day’s news meant to them as young Libyans.

“I was there last summer, I was fighting with them as well, but I came back for my studies. Insha Allah (God willing) I am gonna go there on Monday, and go celebrate and finally sleep with no worries. Forty-two years!”, a defiant adolescent exclaimed.

Another elated youngster of similar age revealed:

“I’m over the moon…Speechless! Forty-two years he’s been there and he’s just been causing havoc for all of us Libyans, his own people; causing bloodshed on all of them. To be honest today is the happiest day of my life - 20^th October 2011… I’ve never had this feeling before… I can finally go to my home town… I had no chance of going because of what’s been going on there, but now I can go without a doubt. I can go today if I want to!” he joyfully expressed.

The first youngster meanwhile offered his insight into what now lay ahead for the new Libya; ‘the challenge’.

“We’re at the best point right now. It’s a challenging moment, We’ve been challenged to change the country overall; to clean everything basically. We’re gonna need to know who are the good guys and the bad guys, but it looks to be going well”, he spoke optimistically.

Returning to the issue of the nature of Qaddafi’s death though, it was clear that contrary to the rationale of NTC representative al Gamati; the adolescent believed that the dictator’s killing today was an inevitability:

“All the Libyans wanted him alive, but we had no choice. He was running that’s the problem. If we didn’t catch him, he would be somewhere else right now where we couldn’t catch him, so that was the best point. And I am proud to say to that 18 year old guy who held the sniper; good luck to him and I wish him the best!”

Later in the evening, as the crowds began to settle, I spoke to one final Libyan. The man in his mid 30s offered an even further insight in the circumstances of the Libyan leader’s death, and what it could have meant had the dictator been caught alive:

“Today is a very happy day. Forty-two years of pain and sorrow. We’ve had couple of good moments in the last couple of months, but this seems to be the end-game. At the end of the day a trial may have been nice in one way but a trial would have been a problem. It would have meant that maybe he would have been handed over to The Hague; Libyans would have wanted him tried in Libya. Now God will decide what will happen with him”, the Libyan resolved.

Regarding what progress he felt had been made, the Libyan of Scottish residence imparted:

“The last sort of eight months have been totally different. Before Libyans didn’t have real pride in their nation now they’ve got a lot of love and pride for their nation. But it’s not just positive; there is negative; a lot of families have lost members; there is a lot of problems going on in the country just now, because simply people are out of work, and that. But the spirits are extremely high; the spirits are totally different from before. People can see the future being bright, God willing”.

His prospects of optimism was shared by the NTC’s Guma al Gamati who emphatically revealed to me in closing:

“I think the future is great… Free democratic prosperous huge resources and hopefully the Libyans will be able to build a great country and will enjoy it and will be able to fulfil all their hopes and aspirations”.

Qaddafi's demise sees the toppling of a third leader in the revolutionary Arab Spring.

NHS Bill Protesters bring Westminster Bridge to a Close

Thousands of protesters took to Westminster Bridge at lunchtime yesterday, bringing disruption to the bridge, and the surrounding Westminster areas.

The demonstrations – largely organised by protest group UK Uncut - campaigned against proposed reforms to the NHS, set to dramatically change the structure of the National Health Service for the first time in its 60 year history.

More than 1000 campaigners came out to campaign against the proposed Health and Social Care bill, which will enter the House of Lords this week. An overwhelming number dressed as doctors and nurses, apt for the occasion, and many, at the behest of UK Uncut donned artificial cuts, wounds and blood injuries. In fact much of the proceedings were symbolic, not least the chosen stage of the demos - Westminster Bridge; the bridge linking Parliament with St Thomas’ Hospital.

A plethora of placards and slogans were paraded, some reading ‘No to the Health and Social Care Bill’; ‘People Before Profit’ and ‘NHS Cuts Will Never Heal’. Poignant quotes on the other hand was the choice of banner for other activists who displayed the words of Aneurin Bevin: ‘The NHS will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it’.

The protests - greatly mobilised with the help of social networks - saw ‘#blockthebill’, become an increasingly popular ‘trending’ topic on Twitter, as thousands around the country had by lunchtime vowed to attend, or at least advocated their support for the demonstrations. Even celebrities added to the clout, with comedian Russell Brand tweeting; ‘Save NHS from privatisation. I will be there dressed as a wounded pigeon’.

The government continue to dismiss claims that the reforms will bring privatisation to the National Health Service, but many analysts, theorists and academics have argued to the contrary claiming the remodelling to bring about inevitable competition in the providing of healthcare from various healthcare companies under the proposed guidelines.

“I’m here partly because I’m nervous of American private health companies coming in and making a profit out of the NHS”, one disgruntled campaigner told me.

“And people pay their National Insurance contributions. They’re not paying for them to go into the pockets of private investors. They’re paying it for health. Health shouldn’t be a question of profit and shouldn’t be a question of competition.

“It should be for everybody and it belongs to everybody”, she added.

Campaigners were backed by trade union and socialist groups – including the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, whose general secretary referred to the proposals as a bill that “no one voted for”. Meanwhile Strawberry Thieves, a south-London socialist choir provided musical entertainment singing well-known songs, invariably substituting original lyrics to themes opposing the government and NHS reforms.

For others though, attendance was compulsory, with the protest being a personal cause.

“We’re here today because of the National Health Cuts. We’re trying to save the National Health Service, its going through privatisation, and through the back door, and we’re trying to stop it and keep it free to everybody.” another campaigner, Elizabeth Webb said.

“It’s actually affecting us now. I’ve got two physically disabled daughters at home and the appointments that they have; they’re having to wait longer now to get in. It’s gonna get even worse. I’ve seen the nurses running around. They haven’t got time to look after everybody… It’s really bad”. Ms Webb (pictured, right) elaborated.

“My daughter, when she went in, she was left in hospital sat in urine. She hadn’t even had her face washed or her hair brushed. So yes it’s affecting me and my family”, she said

Ms Webb, who had travelled from as far out as Preston for the demonstration, expressed further contempt at government cuts also.

“We’re just an ordinary family and we’re actually feeling it… All my bills have gone up and we’re struggling now. We’re struggling to keep warm… We’ve had to go out and cut firewood for the winter coming up. We shouldn’t have to do that!

“I’m not joking; that’s the sad truth… To keep disabled people warm – because they’ve got bad circulation – I need to have [the heating] on all the time… That’s why I’m here today” the Preston campaigner concluded.