Demonstrations have been sweeping cities in Libya over the past few days, with protesters blocking roads, government buildings, and even storming an energy complex over rolling blackouts. The demonstrations have snowballed, however, into demands for the removal of governments in both eastern and western Libya. Surging demand for air conditioning during the current heatwave has exceeded electricity grid’s capacity, which has been stretched by years of underinvestment, theft, and mismanagement.
Hard Numbers
Severe heatwaves trigger unrest in Libya
Farida Dowidar
By Farida DowidarJuly 29, 2026
Farida Dowidar
Farida is an Egyptian-British student at Sciences Po Paris and the University of California, Berkeley, and a summer intern for GZERO Media. She likes to write about geopolitics, culture, and the Middle East & North Africa.
