2005 Maldives Civil Unrest - Unrest

Unrest

By late afternoon, around 3:00 p.m. on August 13, 2005, MDP members started gathering outside MDP Headquarters - area that was held by the police. By 7:00 p.m. local time the crowd had turned into a large demonstration. This crowd was dispersed by the police using pepper spray.

By about 7:45 p.m. the crowd, once again re-assembled on Majeedhee Magu (one of the main roads in the capital) demanding the immediate release of their Chairman Mohamed Nasheed. Riot police arrived on the scene to disperse the demonstrators, but they held off calling for the immediate resignation of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The police used various methods including baton charges, tear gas, pepper spray and high pressure water cannons on the crowd throughout the night.

Police arrested several demonstrators, whom by 11:00 p.m. had turned to throwing stones on the riot control policemen. The mob grew violent as the police tried to stop them. There were reported casualties of both police and civilians.

On, August 14, 2005, a curfew has been declared starting from midnight to 4:30 a.m. in Malé. Despite the curfew, people refused to go home. The police controlled the situation by 1:00am with more arrests. In the morning of August 14, 2005 more people were arrested including CHSE Chemistry teacher Imad Solih and Abdul Majid, MDP member and a businessman.

Third night of the demonstration, second night of the unrest, started after Ishaa prayers on August 14, 2005. Street protest began in Malé at 7:30 p.m. near Athamaa Palace - a hotel. This turned to be the most violent of three nights. An angry mob confronted the riot police with petrol-soaked burning tennis balls, bricks, stones and other objects. The unrest was controlled by 1:30am of August 15, 2005. By the third night some 160 people were arrested and transferred, reportedly, to Feydhoo Finolhu - an uninhabited island of Malé Atoll - and Girifushi (an island used by the military for training purposes).

Both NSS and Police were accused of verbally abusing the crowd, throughout the unrest, which fueled the violence further. On one incident they were accused of storming into a mosque and verbally abusing the people praying . On the other incident it was reported a pregnant women, Aminath Massha, was beaten by NSS personnel . NSS denied these accusations on state owned television, Television Maldives, saying they have not beaten up any pregnant women nor they have stormed into the mosque.

The opposition has criticized the government of provoking the public, and then using it as a means to arrest senior figures within the opposition to suppress the political activities.