Officers of Maldives Police Service on Firday has interrupted the opposition protesters who gathered at their prime focal point.
The multi-party opposition movement had its supporters come down the streets of capital city Male' and various other islands across the country, to express their support for the opposition.
Police had immediately moved in to intervene as per their prior warnings days before the actual event took place.
Officers had diverted the mob while making arrests of several protesters and opposition activists present on-site.
Maldives Police Service officers, in riot gear had pushed back the protesters from Henveiru-Boduthakurufaanu Magu area towards artificial beach.
The Maldives Democratic Party's (MDP) prime camp opposite of artificial beach was forced-in by officers and ordered to vacate the area.
Moments later police had used pepper-spray canisters to disperse off the crowd gathered at the area while constantly warning they would use force to break off the mob.
Similarly many of the islands in various atolls witnessed opposition aligned protesters coming to the streets, which were dealt with in same fashion by authorities - however it had not become intense in any of the islands unlike the capital where a significantly larger crowd had gathered.
The political tension broke-out following the government's head-strong refusal to implement Maldives Supreme Court order to release nine political dissidents which had included the former president Mohamed Nasheed as well as the heavily sentenced former vice president Ahmed Adeeb.
After serious deliberation within president Abdulla Yameen's administration, the head of state attempted to convince top-court judges bench to amend their ruling. Although the top-court had annulled the anti-defection law alongside their release order on nine political prisoners, president Yameen had focused on reverting the release order.
However, following the top-court's direct refusal to acknowledge president's requests to amend the order, a state of emergency was declared through the minister of legal affairs on February 5 - stretching to 15-days.
Immediately after the emergency was declared, state dispatched military to siege top-court premises as well as apprehend Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and top-court judge Ali Hameed.
Both Saeed and Hameed are currently under arrest with state pressing charges of attempting to overthrow the government and accepting bribe on them.
