By Sebastian Abbot

Associated Press
 

BENGHAZI: Libyan rebels may be low on weapons needed to topple Moammar Gadhafi, but there is certainly no shortage of souvenirs available commemorating the revolution.
Roughly a dozen stands set up outside the courthouse in downtown Benghazi, the de facto capital of rebel-held eastern Libya, sell a dizzying array of hats, scarves, T-shirts, coffee mugs, pins, buttons, key chains, stickers, bracelets, car deodorizers, cassette tapes and CDs – all decked out in the red, black and green colors of the ubiquitous rebel flag.
The selection rivals what you would find at many souvenir shops outside professional sports games in the United States and provides a strange contrast to the fierce fighting occurring in other parts of Libya.
“I’m looking for something I can attach to my clothes to show the people that I’m with the rebels,” said Omar Suleiman, a 53-year-old doctor who was also browsing for a hat or a flag for his three kids.
The steady flow of customers to the stands near the courthouse and scattered elsewhere throughout the city is a testament to the revolutionary fervor that has swept eastern Libya, and also the power of capitalism.
“The people had a thirst to have something related to the revolution to show their quest for freedom,” said Abu Bilal, a 40-year-old Egyptian who lives in Benghazi and operates one of the stands near the courthouse.
Abu Bilal and other vendors said they source most of their goods from neighboring Egypt. But some of them carry “Made in China” tags, a sensitive issue since China hasn’t been supportive of the international community’s attempt to help the rebels by enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.
But questions about the origin of the goods doesn’t seem to have hurt sales.
“We buy stuff so that Gadhafi will leave,” said Mohammad Fouzay, a 17-year-old student who was out shopping with his father and two brothers. He picked up a small rebel flag and a large “Free Libya” sticker that he planned to stick on the family car’s license plate to cover up references to Gadhafi’s regime.
Vendors also sell stickers that locals place on Libyan 1 dinar notes to cover up Gadhafi’s picture with that of Omar Mukhtar, a Libyan hero who fought against Italian occupation in the early 1900s and was eventually hanged.
His stern, white-bearded image adorns many of the souvenirs for sale, as does his famous motto: “We won’t give up. We win or die.” Which fate will greet the rebels is still uncertain, but profits, at least, seem assured.