nbc's jim maceda traveled from tripoli today and found a lot more than the government bargained for. >> reporter: this is what the libyan government wanted us to see, traffic jams in downtown tripoli, libyans going about their normal business. and as our press convoy left the capital, rings of pro-gadhafi forces at fortified checkpoints, with tanks and anti-aircraft artillery, looking firmly in charge. but when we approached zawiyah, supposedly under government control, gadhafi's public relations mission backfired. we found makeshift barricades built by rebels. shots were fired in celebration, a pre-gadhafi flag flew once again over this, chants of "down with gadhafi." in fact, this is what we found, a town in the hands of the opposition and protected by soldiers who have defected. and not just any town. zawiyah is in the libyan leader's very heartland. >> now, here, all the people together, we left together. we love libya, i hate moammar gadhafi. >>> reporter: the tides turned yesterday. the forces fired on unarmed libyans holding an anti-government sit-in next to a mosque, seven pr