Police impose restrictions on MDP’s nightly street protests
Invoking authority under the Freedom of Assembly Act, which authorises police to order protest organisers to limit gatherings to a specific area, the police said in a letter to the MDP that its protests have posed “numerous difficulties” for pedestrians, businesses and restaurants as well as for tourists staying at guesthouses and hotels in the area.
21 Oct 2015, 9:00 AM
The police yesterday ordered the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to stop its nightly protests in front of Seagull café and blocked opposition supporters from gathering at the central junction in Malé last night.
Invoking article 41 of the Freedom of Assembly Act – which authorises police to order protest organisers to limit gatherings to a specific area – the police said in a letter to the MDP that its protests have posed “numerous difficulties” for pedestrians, businesses, and restaurants as well as for tourists staying at guesthouses and hotels in the area.
Parents of students preparing for the ongoing O’ Level examinations have filed complaints over noise levels, the police said in a statement. Protesters have also refused to cooperate and stay on the pavement to avoid disrupting traffic flows, it added.
Hundreds of MDP supporters have been gathering at the Chandhanee Magu-Fareedhee Magu junction over the past week, calling on government to abide by a UN rights panel ruling and release jailed president Mohamed Nasheed.
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