Tripoli , Libya ( CNN ) -- Armed men in trucks with anti-aircraft guns mounted on them occupied the Libyan Justice Ministry in Tripoli on Tuesday , forcing ministry staff to leave , Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani said . The militants consisted of 20 to 30 armed men in military fatigues , according to al-Marghani , who said he tried to talk to the men before fleeing . This comes as the nation 's Foreign Ministry remains under siege for a third straight day . The armed protesters have said their main goal was to push the General National Congress to pass a proposed law that would ban Gadhafi-era officials from holding government posts . The political isolation law proposal has been a matter of contention among lawmakers for several months because it could push current senior officials out of office for serving under the former regime . Watchdog groups have been calling on Libyan authorities to rein in armed groups that they say continue to threaten the country 's future . `` Unlawful armed groups that show up with heavy weapons and block access to government institutions , demanding grievance , crosses the line of peaceful protest ; it is intimidating and threatening and there should be accountability for these actions '' Hanan Salah , the Libya researcher for Human Rights Watch , told CNN on Sunday . In recent months , Libyans have resorted to armed protests in the capital . In some cases , protesters surrounded government offices , and sessions of the country 's legislature have been interrupted by armed groups that stormed its meetings . Last month , armed protesters besieged the General National Congress for several hours in an attempt to force its members to pass the political isolation law . Gunmen later opened fire on the vehicle of the parliament speaker , who escaped unharmed . Eighteen months after the fall of the regime , Libya remains awash in weapons and militias that the government has been struggling to control to secure the country . READ MORE : Libya 's foreign ministry cut off by men wielding anti-aircraft guns , official says . READ MORE : Why have we forgotten about Libya ?
The militants want senior government officials to be cleansed of foreign influence . They have anti - aircraft guns mounted on their trucks , officials say . No violence was reported in the latest in a string of armed protests . The country 's Foreign Ministry remains under siege for a third straight day .