Middle East protests spread to Libya

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Libya’s second largest city today to demand the government’s removal in the first sign that the region’s unrest has spread to the North African Arab nation.

Witnesses said protesters in the port city of Benghazi chanted slogans demanding the resignation of prime minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.

There were no calls, however, for long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down.

As in the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings, Libyans are using social networking websites like Facebook to call for a day of protests tomorrow.

There was no word of the unrest from Libya’s official news agency. It said only that supporters of Gaddafi were demonstrating in the capital Tripoli, in Benghazi and in other cities.