The Libyan football league has recently witnessed shocking incidents, with several players subjected to attacks that escalated to stabbings with bladed weapons, amid calls to suspend its activities. In this context, the Al-Akhdar Club announced the suspension of its sports activities out of concern for the lives of its players and entire sports staff, after its delegation was subjected to an "open" attack, with buses being vandalized and players assaulted, as well as threats to the lives of club members by fans gathered around the Benina Stadium in Benghazi, holding the security apparatus responsible for failing to protect the team.
This incident follows the announcement by the Al-Khums sports team that more than nine of its players were stabbed with bladed weapons, while others were beaten, following their return from a match in Tripoli against the Libyan Field team in the local league. The team further stated that its bus was set on fire, causing damage to the club's equipment and materials, labeling the incident as a plot to kill an entire team in front of people on the public street, a first in the history of football, and calling for the preservation of the Libyan football reputation.
These incidents sparked outrage and anger among Libyans, leading to angry protests on Monday in the cities of Al-Khums in the west and Al-Bayda in the east of the country, condemning the prevalence of sports violence and demanding the pursuit and accountability of the attackers, as well as the implementation of strict measures to prevent its recurrence. Meanwhile, voices in Libya have risen calling for the suspension of the football league to put an end to the rampant violence in the sports community, so that worse situations do not occur. Journalist Bashir Zaabia stated, "If the league continues in this manner, there will be a new civil war project," urging for its halt as there are those who seek to reach that war.
