The government has condemned individuals who attacked journalists and damaged public property during an opposition protest on Thursday evening.
According to the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation - the country's main TV and radio station - no fewer than six of their journalists and members of staff were attacked or threatened by demonstrators on Thursday night.
MNBC reports that one of their cameramen had paving stones and oil thrown at him while he was filming the protests. MNBC also reports that a group of male protesters surrounded a female MNBC journalist near the Maldives Monetary Authority building and threatened to kill her and dump her body into the sea. She was reportedly rescued by other journalists nearby.
Three other journalists from MNBC said they were set upon by opposition protesters near the residence of the Youth Minister. A camerawoman had an unknown substance sprayed into her eyes while protesters tried to steal her video camera, and the journalists' motorbike was vandalised.
"While the government welcomes and respects people's right to freedom of assembly, we deplore the fact that some protesters attacked journalists, engaged in wanton violence and destroyed public property," said Press Secretary Zuhair.
Zuhair added that it was also particularly deplorable that protesters broke into the home of the Youth Minister and vandalised his living room, while his family, including children, were in the house.
According to reports by the Maldives Police Service, protesters on Thursday: vandalised a security service vehicle; threw stones and rocks at a boat moored in the harbour; smashed windows of government cars; threw rocks and glass bottles at the police; vandalised a police car guarding the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation; broke into and vandalised the home of the Youth Minister, while his family were at home; and uprooted a number of palm trees.