Police: 12 people were arrested last night along with Mahuloof

Maldives Police Service has said that they arrested 12 people along with MP Mahuloof after they broke up the opposition’s “To End Tyranny” protest demonstration on the first day of the “Three-day” rally.

Police Media Official told Sun Media today that 12 people, all men, were taken into Police custody last night.

Among the arrested is the MP for the South Galolhu constituency, Ahmed Mahuloof. This is the second time he has been arrested in the serial protests.

Police initiated the breaking up of the protest at 12 a.m.midnight and succeeded around 3 a.m. with the arrest of MP Mahuloof.

Police ordered the protestors to stop using megaphones around 11 p.m. But the protestors refused. Police confiscated a the podium and two carts with loudspeakers last night.

When the riot Police came into the rally to break it up, the people leading the rally were doing a sit-down at the Chaandhamee Magu- Majeedhee Magu junction. Police did not try to remove them when try started dispersing the crowd.

After dispersing the crowd, Police dispersed the people at the sit-down from the area as well.

Last night’s protest rally was the biggest opposition rally since the opposition’s rally on 1 May. The opposition began last night’s protest with the intent of continuing it for three consecutive days.