Libyans went about their normal business Monday, the first day after the official end of their revolution, which overthrew Moammar Gadhaffi after 42 years of one-man rule. But the new era was not far from people's minds.
Students returned to the campus of Tripoli University Monday, preparing to register for classes.
But at the engineering department, they ran into a party.
The boys were exuberant, singing and chanting, and even dancing to patriotic songs.
The girls watched, clapped, took pictures and sang along.
It was a day they had waited a long time to celebrate, after spending the summer dodging bullets or raising money for classmates who had gone to the front to fight the pro-Gadhaffi forces.
As they celebrated, some took a moment to talk about their feelings.
“Can you believe yourself that we didn't invite these people, as soon as we turned on the music, everybody came with all their happiness with all their hope to make this place and this country better,” said Hashem Masoui, and engineering student.
“Today we are happy, more than happy, we are delighted. it's the end of the dictatorship, the end of the tyrant. We are free. Today our dreams come true, thank God,” said student Awad Meda.
“I came here to prove, and to give thanks to all the martyrs that gave their blood,” said Amin.
"We are very glad Libya is finally liberated and we are free now. I hope that everything is going to be better from now and forever. We hope so,” said medical intern Amil Abu Kher.
It will back to classes for these students on Saturday, the start of a school year delayed by the revolution. Some talk about getting involved in the hard work of building a new democracy. But for an hour or so, like students everywhere, they just enjoyed the party. And these Libyan students had a particularly good reason to celebrate.
