MDP's 'Fudhijje-Fundijje' march

Friday's rally has come to an end.

Fayyaz: Today we have to take to the streets. This foolish government, after taking power, is once again trying to take away the rights that the Maldivian people have gained. We must resolve and stop this even if we have to shed our blood again. I assure you that this series of protests will continue until this government changes or until this government is set on the right path.

Faisal: What I want to say today is for you to look carefully at how the needs of the people are being fulfilled, how the development projects in the islands of the Maldives are progressing properly, and now that it's been a year, look at what has been accomplished. Yes, when a poor person is at their most vulnerable, making NSPA and Aasandha accessible only to those they want, making it difficult for others to access. Every day they visited the islands, they made grand promises, treating the people like fools. I say that the Maldivian people need to take to the streets. Now, even if you add more numbers to ID cards, that doesn't mean you'll get votes. Look at this. Look at the people. President Muizzu look. Those in the government, please take a look. These are the Maldivian people, this is just the scene from Malé. Where is the rest of the Maldives?

Shifaz: "The Maldivian security services, especially the Maldives police service, should resolve tonight to arrest their minister, the highest-ranking official. The police must step up and arrest Ihusaan. Today, with Ihusaan as the head of the Maldivian police, this investigation cannot be conducted. The biggest theft that occurred in the Maldives was committed by the highest-ranking official of the uniformed police you see. You cannot conduct that investigation. Maldivian police, come out and arrest Ihusaan!"

Salle: We have taken to the streets in defense of the nation. It must be accepted that this country belongs to the Maldivian people. It is the right of the Maldivian people. We entrust a leader to take care of the country, to manage the country. Not to take complete ownership of it. So I am saying very clearly that no ruler in the Maldives should believe that the Maldivian nation is their right or their property. It is our property, our right. We will not stand by and watch as anything happens to this nation. Let me tell you, even if you cut down those closest to you, you cannot diminish the strength of this army.

Ziyad: It's something they're doing to raise money for their own party by obtaining everyone's personal information. It's about the fake forms. From every angle, we see theft taking place. Even when dismissing a government minister or an MD, there are many things happening behind the scenes. Everywhere there is theft. Today, even the president will see that you are not governing on the right path. We stayed quiet for a year without saying anything. But we won't stay quiet anymore. MDP will always take to the streets for the rights of the people. We have taken to the streets before this as well. We will take to the streets again. Even when members were locked out, we spoke about it. We said what you're doing is wrong. You're giving up a power that's in your own hands. However, due to the high level of trust. Today we see that from the very beginning, they blocked the main pillar. Today the parliament is trembling. The ministers are at a loss for what to do. There's nothing left to do, this is not that day. Today we are working to restore the Constitution to how it was before. We won't stop this work until it's done. In my book, after giving one year, from small gatherings to large gatherings, this is a march. There are other stages as well. If our voice is not heard today, there are other ways to make it heard. The Maldivian people are behind us to do this. We will not back down from this. They are destroying the entire Constitution and stealing from the funds allocated for essential public services. And they are stealing using people's most personal information. We won't wait until it reaches that point. We have taken to the street, from this, we will decide to take this voice to a level where the President can hear it."

As part of the ongoing rally by the country's largest opposition party

The march, which is aimed at making the voice of the people heard by the government, is being seen by many as an event that mirrors MDP's "style" in recent history.

Mariya: Can President Muizzu see the number of people gathered here? Even if someone tells President Muizzu that there are only three people with him there, he should come out and check the numbers himself. President Muizzu, come here and listen to the people's voices. What we have to say is, when you destroy the Constitution, dissolve the People's Majlis, and silence the people's voice, all we have left is to come out on the streets and make our voices heard to you. President Muizzu... resign, and dismiss the home minister. We will continue to voice all these demands one after another.

As part of the MDP Fudhijje-Fundijje rally. The crowd has reached the area where the housing ministry building recently burned down.

The throngs of rally-goers are marching forward. Among the crowd are top figures in the political sphere representing the main opposition party including Malé City Council Mayor Azim, Hisaan, Fayyaz, Shahid, Moosa, Rozaina, Saeed, Mariya and several others.

Mauroof: The government has impoverished the people. Especially a large chunk of the workforce, including those working in the tourism and fishing industries. The workers were very hopeful, many of them voted for President Muizzu based on big promises, false promises. When he was elected and entrusted to serve using taxpayers' money, in reality what President Muizzu is doing is impoverishing the people. I cannot understand President Muizzu's intention at all. One of the biggest things is that he promised many things. To provide for fishermen, workers, resort employees. However, as of today, he is working directly opposite, deliberately to impoverish the people, to plunge the people into an abyss of hardships. His policy is to keep people poor and destitute so that when the elections roll around, he can buy votes with money and win the polls. Within that mindset, Muizzu's main goal is to keep people impoverished. So the Maldivian people are here saying no to President Muizzu, coming out in numbers large enough to fill the main streets of Malé, saying that the people have had enough, the people are crushed, the people don't want this anymore, they want to change President Muizzu's oppressive rule.

Ameen: We gave a one-year opportunity. We passed the budget as President Muizzu wanted, to continue the projects started in our government's islands. However, when an additional MVR five billion was proposed for a supplementary budget because MVR 49 billion was not enough, we passed it and gave the opportunity to do things connected to people's hopes. However, without explaining what happened to the MVR 55 billion, another budget has been passed again. There's no memory now of the promises made during the previous presidential election, completely new promises, from ATMs to futsal grounds. This is not why people voted with hope. These are not the promises President Muizzu made to the whole country. There are much better promises than that. There's no memory of those today. This is not an MDP event. This is an event of the Maldivian people. After one year, with no attention given to the hopes of the Maldivian people, we are seeing the people's sentiments. This is something the government needs to think about. The people will not give many more chances. We are not going to give that chance either. The government should reform, otherwise we will change the government and come out with even more enthusiasm."

"The number of people who have come out here also reveals that the citizens have indeed been crushed. They say that the Constitution has been destroyed because today's President is working to run the state beyond the limits set in the Constitution and against the spirit of the Constitution. The interference with independent institutions, the judiciary not functioning properly, and the citizens being in this state is one of the most important parts of the story we are telling."

Rally-goers are marching down Boduthakurufaanu Magu holding up banners and MDP flags

Thousands have gathered for the march

MDP President Abdulla Shahid: Enough is enough! do not be more oppressive to the people of the Maldives and step back. We are raising the voice of the Maldivian people. We will change the oppressive government of the Maldives. We will push them back. President Muizzu, the people gathered are calling for resignation.

MDP President Abdulla Shahid has urged to "listen to the government". He said they are delivering the message that the people want. The government has failed to fulfill its promises. The government has become oppressive towards the people. The government has impoverished the people. The people have had enough, the people are crushed.

Ranks for the march are being formed. Many MDP general members and those who oppose the government have gathered.

Member Ziyad said that the whole country is facing a worse situation than the ongoing spell of bad weather. "So we should come to improve the situation." he said.

Preparations are underway for the march to express dissatisfaction with various issues such as rising prices of goods, increased corruption within the government, lack of government assistance for those in need of medical treatment, and the suspension of development projects in the islands for over a year.

As President Muizzu's government continues to disrupt the system of separation of powers, the country is losing its democratic features and moving towards an autocratic rule, which is causing public discontent.

The march organized under the name 'Fudhijje-Fundijje' is a protest against President Muizzu's sudden amendment to the constitution, which has concentrated all powers in his hands.