The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated that force was used to stop the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally held on Friday, in accordance with the Police Service Act and the regulations under the Act. The police made the statement in a press release regarding the protest.
According to the press release, participants of the rally took to the streets in violation of the agreement reached with the police. The demonstrators veered off the agreed route and attempted to march along Majeedhee Magu, despite being repeatedly instructed to adhere to the pre-approved path.
The rally participants clashed with the police, removing and throwing down barricades set up to block roads, and attempted to seize the shield used by officers for crowd control.
The police said these actions demonstrated that the assembly had lost the characteristics of a peaceful assembly as defined in the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act.
The statement noted that any assembly, march or procession of any kind cannot be conducted in Male’ without written police permission, except in areas designated and publicly announced by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. While participants attempted to march through undesignated areas on Friday, officers used the powers granted under the first amendment to the Act by exercising patience and professionalism, police said.
Reiterating that the police used force to stop the rally within the scope of the Police Service Act and associated regulations, the statement said the actions were carried out in accordance with the Regulation on Acquiring, Possessing, and Using Weapons, and the Regulation on Police Use of Power and Discretion. The principles of the use of such force were upheld, police added.
MPS reported that three officers were injured while attempting to control the rally, including one female police officer and two male officers. The female police officer was injured after falling with a shield and being trampled by some protestors. One male officer was injured when he was hit by the barricade, while another was injured when protestors hit the officers’ shields. Two of the injured officers were treated at Senahiya Hospital and one at ADK Hospital, police confirmed.