The rebel-held Libyan city closest to Tripoli is preparing for battle with government troops.
Tanks and anti-aircraft weapons were deployed in Zawiya ready for an expected attack by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
The regime, eager to reinforce its view that Libya was calm and under its control, took visiting journalists to Zawiya, 30 miles west of the Tripoli on Sunday.
But the tour merely confirmed that rebels controlled the centre of the city of 200,000 people.
The charred hulks of cars littered the city, many buildings were pockmarked by bullets, and most streets were blocked by felled palm trees or metal barricades.
Police stations and government offices have been torched, and anti-Gaddafi graffiti – labelling him a “mass murderer” – was everywhere. In the main square, an effigy of the leader hung from a lamp post with the words “Execute Gaddafi” on its chest.
The mood was generally upbeat, although the anticipation of a renewed attempt to retake the city was causing some anxiety.
“We are all wanted,” said one man who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisals. “Zawiya in our hands is a direct threat to Tripoli.”
On Zawiya’s outskirts were pro-Gaddafi forces, also backed by tanks and anti-aircraft guns.
About 20 miles west of Zawiya, 3,000 pro-Gaddafi demonstrators gathered on the coastal road, chanting slogans in support of the Libyan leader.
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