Male: Tensions gripped the Maldivian streets
on Sunday after supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Nasheed
gathered outside the Majlis raising slogans against the
current regime of Mohammed Waheed Hassan.
The protesters numbering around 400 along with some of
Nasheed`s Maldivian Democratic Party MPs gathered outside the
Majlis (parliament) where as per the Maldivian`s law no
protest march is allowed.
The demonstrators hit the street after a lull of over two
days since the protests that began after Nasheed`s resignation
on Tuesday.
Over 150 anti-riot police personnel armed with batons and
pepper spray pushed the protesters back after over an hour of
standoff with them.
Shouting slogans against the current president, the
protesters threw money at the police. A few water bottles were
also thrown at the police who set up barricades on the street
leading to Majlis to stop protesters.
About half a dozen protesters were detained.
"We have been keeping much restrain. We just want this
area to be cleared as protests are not allowed on the street,"
a senior police official said.
The protests comes on the day when new President Hassan
inducted seven members into his expanded cabinet, including
the country`s first woman Attorney General and an aide of
former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
An European Union team from Colombo is expected to land
here tonight to take stock of the situation.
Maldives` first democratically-elected president had said
that he was forced to resign as gun-wielding military men
threatened that they would resort to using arms if he did not.
PTI
