Benghazi prepares for protests

BENGHAZI, Libya, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A protest against armed militias, as well as a counter-protest, has been scheduled for Friday in Benghazi, Libya, officials said.

Moderate Libyan activists scheduled a "Save Benghazi" rally on the weekly Muslim holy day, as has Ansar al-Sharia, one of the groups U.S. officials say was likely involved in the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, CBS News reported Thursday.

The prospect of Ansar al-Sharia, with conservative followers and a well-stocked arsenal of weapons, taking the street at the same time as groups calling for its disarmament and replacement by government security forces, presents an obvious risk, the report said.

But one of the pro-disarmament organizers said the protest "is not a move against Ansar al-Sharia. We are against all armed factions, and we want police and armed forces to be restored."