The MDP's much-anticipated rally on Friday night turned into a three-hour standoff with riot police, who blocked protesters from marching along Malé's main thoroughfare, heavily using pepper spray, arresting eight people and deploying a sonic weapon for the first time. After six of the detained protesters were remanded for 15 days, MDP leaders and activists returned to the streets on Saturday night demanding their release. Meanwhile, at a national council meeting, the main opposition party decided to stage a mass protest on November 17, the second anniversary of President Muizzu's administration.
Mohamed Raslan, vice president of the MDP's Central Hulhumalé branch, suffered a heart attack during Friday night's protest. He was admitted to IGMH’s ICU and later transferred to the CCU when his condition stabilised. After the MDP blamed pepper spray exposure, the government-run hospital released a statement denying that it could have directly caused a heart attack. IGMH, the country's main public hospital, was widely criticised over the "politicised" statement.
Only six candidates applied for membership of the new Media and Broadcasting Commission by the deadline of 2pm on Saturday, the Elections Commission revealed. Four members are to be elected to represent the media on the new regulator, of whom two would be elected by broadcasters and two by print and online outlets. Four individuals stood for the two slots reserved for broadcasters. The EC accepted three candidates as eligible to contest, one of whom later withdrew his candidacy. The EC also disqualified the candidacy of one of only two individuals who stood for the other two slots.
After police officers deployed a Long Range Acoustic Device on three occasions during Friday night's protest, a petition was launched against the unprecedented use of sonic weapons for crowd control, citing health risks that include permanent hearing damage. The MDP's legal team as well as prominent lawyers, including former attorneys general Dhiyana Saeed and Dr Sawad, argued that the use of the LRAD was unlawful.
Ahead of the MDP's protest, Assistant Commissioner Asim Abdulla was replaced as the Malé area commander with Abdulla Shareef, the head of the Central Investigation Command.
Riot police "acted with patience and professionalism to disperse the gathering using lawful means," police insisted in a statement, accusing protesters of unlawful acts such as seizing barricades and shields. The use of force was "carried out strictly in accordance" with authority granted under the police law and regulations, it added. A female officer and two male officers were injured during the clashes, according to the police media official.
Police arrested two men aged 27 and 24 as well as two women aged 18 and 19 over a fight at the communal area outside the Hiya flats tower seven.
Ibrahim Shaaz, a Maldivian who was on an observer boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, arrived safely in Malaysia.
Ishag Ahmed was appointed as the new head of the Environmental Regulatory Authority.
The criminal court remanded two men for seven days for allegedly stealing four mangoes from a tree in Malé.
Resort magnate Ahmed Siyam Mohamed purchased a 3,252 square feet plot in Hulhumalé for MVR 31 million (US$ 2 million). The civil court formally transferred ownership following payment to the Housing Development Corporation.
