Reports on Twitter and videos uploaded on YouTube speak of protests in Benghazi, where around 200 relatives of political prisoners killed in the Abu Slim Prison massacre of June 1996 have gathered after the spokesman on behalf of the families was arrested.
As with Egypt, which ousted Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of corruption, the February 17 date was originally spread through social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
Egyptian blogger Mohammed Maree provides (Ar) some context to why the protests started tonight:
Until this moment, hundreds of people are protesting in Benghazi. They are the relatives of the martyrs slain in the Abu Slim prison massacre, who were joined by scores of other supporters. They are demonstrating against the arrest of the official spokesman on behalf of the families, who was arrested by the Libyan security forces, for no reason.....
Libyan Citizens take to the streets of Benghazi (I)