Opposition protests in Malé draw public criticism and cause traffic chaos

The opposition coalition's regular series of protests has drawn criticism and disapproval from the residents of the capital city, Malé.

The opposition parties, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC), have been calling for the immediate release of their leader, former President Abdulla Yameen, every night in front of the PPM office on the outermost Boduthakurufaanu Magu. Unfortunately, the PPM office is located near the part of the road that leads to the Sinamalé Bridge, which is a traffic-heavy area.

While the Malé public usually manoeuvres around the protestors, on Wednesday night the opposition attempted a different approach, which made the traffic flow even more complicated. The protestors stepped in front of a Raajje Transport Link (RTL) bus, operated by the state-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), that was approaching a bus stop located near the PPM office.

A video of last night's protest also showed the opposition members stepping in front of oncoming traffic and obstructing the vehicles, causing an inconvenient traffic jam at a busy time of the night.

MTCC's CEO, Adam Azim, has also expressed dissatisfaction with the opposition coalition's protests. He said that these approaches that obstruct traffic have become common practise lately.

"It has become very difficult for MTCC to take people places on time because of [this]. I urge everyone not to impede public transportation," Azim said. He also called on the police to put a stop to these activities.

The videos of last night's protest were widely shared on social media.

"Obstructing public transport and hampering the daily lives of the citizens is reprehensible," a Malé resident said on Twitter.

"This is called a public nuisance," another said in a retweet of a protest video from last night.

In a protest in the same area on March 20, the protestors even blocked President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's motorcade as it was returning from Hulhumalé. The Maldives Police Service had arrested several individuals, and the Parliament Committee on National Security Services, as well as the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) launched official investigations into the matter as well.

This was the first time a high-security motorcade was obstructed by the public.