Maldives police arrest 8 demonstrators during opposition party protest

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MALE, Maldives (AP) — Police in Maldives arrested eight people during an overnight protest Friday accusing the government of corruption and curtailment of basic freedoms.

The protesters violated conditions agreed upon before the march, used unauthorized roads and threw rocks and water bottles, the Maldives Police Service said in a post on social media platform X.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party issued a statement condemning police for using pepper spray and riot shields to stop the march and called on the government of President Mohamed Muizzu to free all the protesters unconditionally.

The MDP organized the demonstration to demand the government reverse constitutional changes narrowing fundamental rights and expanding the president's powers. The party also seeks universal public heath care.

Protesters called for a stop to restrictions on the use of decentralized power by island councils, withdrawal of a new law enabling fines and suspension or cancellation of media licenses and mismanagement of state enterprises.

The archipelago nation, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka and the southern tip of India, is a popular tourist destination frequented by celebrities. A multiparty political system was introduced in 2008 after 30 years of autocratic rule.