Thousands of Libyans marched through Libya's second city, Benghazi, to demand the disbanding of powerful armed gangs, in the wake of the assault that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

At the same time Friday, far fewer supporters of the ultraconservative Salafist group also gathered to protest against a U.S.-made film that mocks Islam and cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by a French satirical weekly.

The anti-militia demonstrators demanded that the militias disband and that the government build up the police and military to take their place in providing security.

Since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, the militias have grown stronger, boasting arsenals of automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and pick-up trucks with heavy machine guns. Many are strongly Islamist.