The uprising began in Benghazi after a " a small human rights protest, over the massacre of political prisoners from Benghazi 15 years before "  (BBC Panorama, Fighting Gaddafi, reporter, Paul Kenyon) . It escalated  when the authorities launched a violent crackdown, firing at unarmed protesters.  The use of terror that Gaddafi's men used inspired revlot - this is a theme of his rule I believe , -see todays report on Channel 4 also on fate of Zawiya , a 'ghost town' after Gaddafis brutal suppression of the uprising there .