The embassy was again the focus of attention in 2011 during the Libyan Civil War. There were several protests in the early part of the year[4] against the Gaddafi government's crackdown on protesters in Benghazi, culminating in the occupation of the embassy's roof and the swapping of the flag with that of the National Transitional Council (now the current Libyan flag).[5] In July of that year the British government expelled the existing embassy staff and formally recognised the NTC as the sole legitimate authority in Libya.[6]