They gathered in the thousands just before midday. From the battered, graffiti-coated courthouse on the corniche, the crowd stretched a half-kilometre north across Benghazi's version of Tahrir Square and surrounding streets. A sea of anxious, passionate humanity that came together to defy Gaddafi's regime and show its willingness to battle him to the death. Tents arranged on the fringes of the square displayed images of martyrs and denounced the international crimes perpetrated by Gaddafi and his family.

Men, women and children; doctors, students and the long-term unemployed. Citizens of the rebel-held east bowed down together for Friday prayers, listening with rising emotion to a sermon that castigated Libya's 42-year ruler as an “enemy of God” and assured them the sacrifices rebel forces had made would not be in vain. "We will not surrender," was a common slogan daubed on walls and banners. "We will be victorious or we will die." Coffins containing casualties from yesterday's fighting were borne aloft through parting crowds, gunfire, cries of Allahu Akbar (God is great) and ululations splitting the air. 

Ahram Online spoke to Khalid Mohammed Sa'ad, 52, whose 21-year old nephew, Fathi Ali, was a volunteer fighter in Ras Lanuf killed on Thursday by an offshore artillery attack. "His death will not be in vain, even if I need to avenge him myself," whispered Khalid, weeping.

"We are ready to kick Gaddafi out with our knives and our machetes. With our will and our faith we believe we can take him down," he continues passionately.

It was almost certainly the biggest demonstration Libya's second city has ever seen. But it also showed increasing worries among the rebels that their indisputable courage and faith may not be anywhere near enough when pitted against the Russian-built tanks, missile attacks and air-strikes of Gaddafi loyalists.

Speeches demanding international assistance and a no-fly zone over Libya were echoed by countless demonstrators. "The international community is very slow in helping us. We are fighting - and we don't mind fighting and dying against soldiers, but not airplanes," Mohammed Fadallah, a 23-year old medical student, told Ahram Online. 

Behind him a surging crowd carried banners begging for Gaddafi's air-superiority to be checked, chanted, "The people want a no-fly zone."

Some demonstrators went further when interviewed by journalists and demanded the West launch air strikes on pro-Gaddafi positions.

France's recognition of the rebel government yesterday had already galvanised Benghazi's crowd. "Merci France!" chanted a group, marching behind a French standard.

As the Friday sermon talked of demands for the international community to help the rebels, an immense French flag was lowered from the roof of the courthouse, as if on cue. In front of the building, as bastion of the old regime, female worshippers showed a passion for the revolution at least equal to their husbands, brothers and sons.

Moteea Abd El-Rasal, 42, has an 18 year-old son fighting in Ras Naluf. "Men here are without money and without work. They go to fight and change their country and we support them," she said.

Also desperate to share her opinions was Sohair Mekky, 51, an Egyptian from Alexandria who has lived in Benghazi for 26 years. "It was a very good revolution," she said of events in her native country. "Now everyone in Egypt tastes freedom - I hope it can happen here."