Anti-government protest subdued with mass arrests and tear gas
A much-anticipated opposition demonstration on Friday night was suppressed with mass arrests and tear gas fired to keep protesters out of the capital’s Republic Square.
17 Mar 2018, 9:00 AM
A much-anticipated opposition demonstration on Friday night was suppressed with mass arrests and tear gas fired to keep protesters out of the capital’s Republic Square.
Three Raajje TV journalists, several Maldivian Democratic Party activists and opposition parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih were among scores taken into custody.
A police spokesman told local media that 141 people were arrested, including 115 men and 26 women, of whom 139 remain in custody after two men were released. The number of detainees is the highest since the 2015 May Day rally.
The heavy-handed crackdown came after the authorities warned last week that the ‘Huttuva’ (Stop) protest would not be allowed, branding it an attempt to violently overthrow the government and threatening fishermen with license cancellation if they ferried protesters to the capital.
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