Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef today stated and criticized that the MDP rally held last night in Male', where protesters clashed with the police, was an act of terrorism.

Confrontations broke out between police and protesters when demonstrators attempted to move the rally onto Majeedhee Magu. The protest, held under the banner “Lootuvaifi Lootuvaifi”, began at 9:00 pm at Artificial Beach.

Police used heavy pepper spray to push back participants, leaving several protesters injured.

Vice President Hussain posted on X, stating the MDP rally that was held under the guise of a peaceful protest, was intended to disrupt public peace and security of the nation.

The Vice President stated that the rally was staged under the guise of a civilian show of strength and freedom of speech, but characterized it instead as an “act of terrorism” organized against the current administration. He said the protest was unconstitutional and unlawful.

Vice President Hussain described last night’s protest as “an act of cowardice” by the MDP leadership. He said the opposition had gathered civilians for an event that was initially permitted with police cooperation but later turned against police orders, putting participants in danger.

VP Hussain said he believed the protest represented “a failure of the very foundations” that the MDP claims to advocate for.

The Vice President expressed his gratitude towards the efforts of the Police who dismantled the rally, ensured the safety of civilians and protected the peace.

The Police repeatedly stated that the MDP worked to move the protest down Majeedhee Magu, something that was outside what MDP and the Police agreed upon. The Police also said that approval was given for the protest was to only move through Ameenee Magu and Boduthakurufaanu Magu.

However, MDP stated that it was the Police that went against the agreement. MDP's legal team said last night that it was the Police that released a statement two days ago that they had received information that groups from MDP would cause disruptions.

Eight people were arrested by the Police during last night's events, with all but one being remanded to 15 days in prison by the Criminal Court. Since then, one of the individuals have been released and identified as Addu City Council member Hussain Zareer.