While many have hailed the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi's rule in Libya as symptomatic of a nationalistic desire for freedom and equality, there is a dark side to this revolution.

Many African migrant workers report that they have been attacked by anti-government protesters, after having been mistaken for mercenaries hired by Gaddafi.

They say that their businesses have been attacked, and residents of Benghazi, an opposition stronghold, say they are too afraid to even venture out of their houses.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Benghazi, in eastern Libya.