TRIPOLI, Libya - Libyan bulldozers began knocking down the green walls surrounding Muammar Qaddafi's main Tripoli compound known as Bab al-Aziziya on Sunday, as revolutionary forces said it was time "to tear down this symbol of tyranny."
The sprawling, fortress-like compound has long been hated by Libyans who feared to even walk nearby during Qaddafi's more than four decades in power and its capture was seen as a turning point in the civil war as revolutionaries overran the capital in late August.
Ahmad Ghargory, commander of a revolutionary brigade, said the area will be turned into a public park.
"It's the revolutionary decision to tear down this symbol of tyranny," Ghargory said. "We were busy with the war, but now we have the space to do this."
Already, Libyans have turned the courtyard in front of Qaddafi's former house, which he used for many fiery speeches trying to rally supporters during the uprising, into a weekly pet market. Tripoli residents roam the premises as if at a museum, with vendors selling revolutionary flags and other souvenirs. Full Read
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