even hear or even see what's happening.

"The demonstrators scattered, and they suddenly brought in their gangs chanting 'Fatih' [One of Gaddafi's titles] and they re-entered the square. We took shelter in the neighbouring buildings for a while then retreated. There was also strikes by anti-aircraft missiles, we saw this in front of us. Those that I saw with my own eyes: two wounded, one shot in the head."

One young woman in Tripoli wrote by email to the Guardian: "The general sentiment here is mixed. One of hope, fear and excitement. Fear not of being hurt or shot but of the unknown. Hope for change. Excitement for what's to come. There is a complete blackout of information. Nothing official, nothing confirmed. Who's winning, how many are dead. Who's stillhere? Who's left running with their tail between their legs. The only source of information is that between each other."

In the east of Libya, where support for Gaddafi is traditionally weak, the city of Benghazi – where over 200 people are believed to have been killed in five days of violence – was said to have fallen to the protesters after police retreated. Residents were reported to be organising vigilante groups to protect themselves and distribute food. In Paris, the International Federation of Human Rights estimated the death toll at between 300 and 400 by Monday afternoon.

The group also reported soldiers in the east had defected and several towns were in the hands of the opposition. Tunisians who had left Libya described to Agence France-Presse how the disturbances