The Maldives Police Service had on Thursday night arrested a number of activists calling for the Supreme Court ruling to release unfairly detained prisoners, and dispersed crowds before they fully gathered.
Demonstrators began gathering at the intersection between Majeedhee Magu and Chaandhanee Magu in capital city Malé, and officers had already been stationed there.
While police arrested activists before the demonstration could gain traction and more could gather, a number of individuals were seen waiting at Majeedhee Magu after.
The allied opposition parties have been holding nightly rallies in capital city Malé after the Supreme Court issued its contentious ruling on February 1st.
While the parties had also called on the government to lift its state of emergency, which the president did on Thursday only hours before it would have expired.
The governments of India and the United States of America had on Thursday released statements welcoming the decision, while India called on the Maldives to have the ruling implemented, the US reflected that Maldives ‘has a long way to go democracy to return’.
