Green flags fill Bani Walid as Libyans remember Gaddafi

Green flags filled the streets of Bani Walid as crowds gathered to mark 57 years since the coup that brought Muammar Gaddafi to power in Libya.

Participants waved flags associated with Gaddafi's former regime and chanted in support of the Al-Fateh Revolution, while fireworks lit up the sky.

For some of those attending, the gathering was also a show of continued support for the former Libyan leader.

"Muammar Gaddafi is the spirit of the Libyan people. He is the only leader in the world who has passed away while a spiritual bond remained between him and his people. Humanity has never known a figure or a leader who passed away and was still called for by his people," participant Hassan Mohammed said.

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The Al-Fateh Revolution refers to the September 1, 1969 coup in which a group of military officers led by Gaddafi overthrew King Idris I and declared the Libyan Arab Republic.

Local resident Mahmoud Al-Zintani said the anniversary remained significant despite younger generations not experiencing all of Gaddafi's rule.

"The Al-Fateh Revolution means something great to me and to the entire Libyan people. You might say that we were young and did not live through the era of the revolution, but we experienced part of it," he said.

"Muammar Gaddafi provided us with prosperity and dignity, and now there is a difference in living standards."

Gaddafi emerged as Libya's de facto ruler following the 1969 coup and remained the dominant figure in the country's political system for more than four decades.

His regime was overthrown during the 2011 uprising and armed conflict. Gaddafi was killed in October that year.