MDP meeting hall raided for third time ahead of Saudi king’s visit
The meeting hall was previously raided twice amidst a crackdown against any attempts to carry out “demeaning” activities during upcoming official visits.
16 Mar 2017, 9:00 AM
The police raided the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s haruge (meeting hall) in Malé on Thursday afternoon, confiscating banners made for a planned protest against the alleged sale of Faafu atoll to the Saudi royal family.
The meeting hall was previously raided twice amidst a crackdown against any attempts to carry out “demeaning” activities during upcoming official visits. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is due to arrive in the Maldives on Saturday.
Unlike the previous times, the police did not allow MDP leadership figures to observe the one-hour raid.
A banner set up outside the meeting hall for the public to write their views opposing the alleged sale of the south-central atoll was also removed and police officers took away national flags, rolls of fabric and other items.
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