"BENGHAZI, Libya — At least a dozen people were killed here Saturday and dozens wounded after members of a powerful militia fired on protesters surrounding the group’s headquarters..."

"... in an outpouring of public anger at the armed bands that have been blamed for fueling political violence and undermining a fledgling state."

It was not the first time that Benghazi’s residents have lashed out against the militias: in September, after the killing of the United States ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, citizens stormed the headquarters of several militias, including one suspected in the killing. But the spontaneity of the protest on Saturday, and the violence that followed, marked a dangerous escalation of one of Libya’s central struggles, the fight between armed Islamists and other militiamen who rose to power during the revolution, and Libyans demanding that authority rest with the state.

The lack of security has been acute in Benghazi, where mysterious assassinations have been a hallmark of Libya’s transition since the overthrow of its longtime ruler, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Police stations and other symbols of the government have repeatedly been attacked, at least partly in reaction to the government’s attempts to rein in the armed groups....