Protesters storm Libya election office in Benghazi

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Armed protesters calling for greater autonomy for Libya's east stormed the office of the national election commission in the city of Benghazi on Sunday and burned voting materials outside, a Reuters correspondent at the scene said.

About 300 men carried computers and ballot boxes from the building and began to crush them while chanting pro-federalism slogans, said the correspondent.

The violence occurred less than a week before Libya's first free election since a war last year in which Muammar Gaddafi was ousted from office.

(Reporting by Ahmed Al-Rubaie; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchain; Editing by Ralph Gowling)