Libya: radio presenter from Leeds helping to keep rebel spirits high

Libya: radio presenter from Leeds helping to keep rebel spirits high
A handful of amateur radio presenters, including a Leeds university lecturer, are keeping up the spirits of a city under constant bombardment from Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces.


Salim Betmal is a lecturer in environmental engineering who lived in Britain from 1996 to 2004 Photo: GEOFF PUGH

By Ben Farmer, Misurata 9:30PM BST 24 Apr 2011
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Salim Betmal, a Leeds University-educated lecturer, is now a DJ in Radio Free Libya Misurata, which delivers news and music to residents who have no contact with the outside world.

"Imagine you live in a society with all these fears. You have to give people a lot of support," he said. "We have to do this even in the songs that we broadcast.

"We do this with songs calling for patience, songs about freedom and songs saying the price of freedom is not cheap."

Broadcasts try to feature the latest on frontline fighting and availability of food and water, as well as quashing the panicked rumours which spread in wartime, he said.

Regime jets twice tried to bomb the station in the days before the Nato no-fly zone and it has also been hit by tank fire, Mr Betmal said.

Loyalists tried to topple the station's antenna with explosives and the volunteers guarding it have disappeared without trace, he said.

The studios have moved several times to evade further attacks.

Before the February 17 uprising, Radio Misurata was a pedestrian local station that avoided politics.

It went off air for two days as Misurata rose, but as soon as the town had thrown of Col Gaddafi's rule, a group of young men asked to restart broadcasts.

The first challenge was to find new presenters - teachers, clerics and even the dean of the university's arts faculty were given slots.

Mr Betmal, a lecturer in environmental engineering who lived in Britain from 1996 to 2004, said Col Gaddafi's loyalists are part of the target audience. He said: "We have captured some as young as 16. We broadcast saying if come to just surrender, don't fight and you will be safe."

The rebels defied a heavy government bombardment that killed 36 to advance into a hospital that has been a key target of both sides.

"Gaddafi's brigades, using Grad rockets, carried out random bombardment on Sunday. They targeted several areas here," a spokesman said.