It’s the anniversary of “Black Friday,” when exactly a year ago riots broke out across the country of Maldives. The protestors were challenging President Gayoom and his 25 year presidency over the arrest of reformists. They demanded free, fair, and transparent multi-party elections. Real reforms. Real democracy. What began as an unprecedented and unplanned rally, the largest in Maldives’ history, ended in a violent security forces crackdown on protestors, reformists, and even government ministers.

Ever since then, amid internal and international pressure, Gayoom has had to try his hand at reform without much enthusiasm. He’d dish it out and then roll it back, an endless cycle of “gotcha.” But ever since Black Friday, people have been ready and willing to become increasingly vocal, even in public, against the government. With the anniversary of that fateful day now upon them, at least six hundred people gathered to protest again the regime.

COLOMBO, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Police detained the Maldives’ main opposition leader on Friday at a rally marking the anniversary of a crackdown on reformists, a move the government said was aimed at dispersing the crowd and was for his own safety.

Mohamed Nasheed, who heads the Maldivian Democratic Party and is a vocal opponent of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was leading a 600-strong rally when he and four colleagues were encircled by riot police and whisked away.

“It was a peaceful protest until some undesirable elements joined … and they started to get a bit unruly,” acting government spokesman Mohamed Shareef said by telephone from the island cluster’s capital of Male. “We had to take Nasheed away for his own safety.

“Nasheed was removed by the police from the scene in the hope that the crowd would disperse soon after,” Shareef added, saying he had not been arrested and would be released soon.

Of course, the Reuters article basically just recants what the government tells them what happened. For the real live information, you have to go to the local news sources. And the reports are showing that Nasheed was not just taken away but brutally beaten. It is now being confirmed that, past midnight, more and more protestors are gathering in the square against the government. This news is live. Scroll down the page for even more.

SATURDAY 13

01:32AM: Reports from MDP’s Haruge Freedom Tent say over 2,000 MDP supporters bunking down and saying they will not go home until MDP members arrested today are released.

12:45AM: Reports from Haruge state that Gayoom had briefly gone to the police station in Male???????? this evening but has now left Male???????? for his holiday island Aarah.

FRIDAY 12TH

11:30PM: Following the special meeting of the cabinet ministers there has been no official response to both the public????????s and the MDP????????s calls for the release of today????????s detainees.

11:30PM: Reports from Haruge confirm that citizens have control of Addu Atoll Office, in G.D Thinadhoo the Atoll Chief has been detained (reportedly tied up) by the citizens, in G.D. Dhaandhoo and G.A. Kolamafushi the Island Offices have been occupied by the citizens.

11:30PM: Reports from Haruge confirm injuries to Anni and Ahmed Abbas.

11:30PM: Reports from the MDP Freedom Tent (Haruge), where there are currently about 3000 people, state: The Government media outlets are spreading disinformation. Sources made clear that the iron rods confiscated by security forces at Haruge earlier in the day, and claimed to be weapons, were left over construction materials. TVM is apparently under siege.

11:25PM: Police special task force to be sent to Addu atoll following local unrest.

Another local paper is reporting that the security apparatus is moving in quickly and beating everyone in their way.

Male’ – Confirmed sources say that police have stormed into MDP Haruge and started beating up people and have arrested many including Mr. Majeed, the Founder of Kinaaraa Tution Class. The police have also blocked a big stretch of Majeedhee Magu from Shop No. 70 to the Gift Shop. Whilst the call for prayer is being heard in Male’, Gayyoom has asked his mad dogs to torture his people. “This is really very brutal”, said Hassan who informed us of the incident.

Obviously, the government did not arrest Nasheed for his own safety if they felt the need to pound him into the ground before wisking him away. What we’re seeing now is a repeat of the infamous Black Friday, with information of the protest against the government slowly spreading amid state propaganda, more people joining in, and the government moving in to stop it. Except this time the people may continue to press forward. They know what will happen if they don’t.

Let’s see what happens; more to come. I’m cheering them on.

VIDEO: Someone captured the arrest on video, click here.

PICTURES: A bunch of pictures here.

ARRESTS CONTINUE:

8:27AM: MDP Councillor Mohamed Ziyad (Ziattey) arrested

8:14AM: All roads surrounding the Maldivian Democratic Party Haruge Freedom Tent have been blocked. Riot police are sitting down in the roads leading to the tent, where the MDP holds political rallies. Previously, eyewitnesses reported seeing police dismantling the tent, removing iron poles and other materials – which were later broadcast on state-run TV Maldives as “weapons discovered” in MDP premises.

7:49AM: Democracy activist and Director of AAA Resorts, Ali Shiyam, handcuffed and arrested by eight police officers

07:47AM: Democracy campaigner Shuaib Ali arrested

05:58AM: EYEWITNESS REPORT OF HARGUE BEING STORMED: ???????I was there at the Hargue tent all night ???????? with Ziattey (MDP Councillor Mohamed Ziyad) and others. We wanted to stay in the tent until all the MDP members were released. Many people were there: ladies and children and old men and women sitting there and waiting peacefully. Suddenly many police came in??????? hundreds of them.

They told us to leave peacefully but some people refused the leave until the MDP prisoners had been released. Then the police started attacking people. I saw infront of my own eyes police kicking one little boy of around thirteen until he went numb.

All the roads near the tent have been blocked. While I was leaving the place, one police officer started pushing me and I said ???????If you want to arrest me you can but please don????????t touch me??????? then they Äthe policeÅ surrounded me I was kicked in the back.

Now the police are destroying the Hargue tent but still some MDP supporters are left in there. Cops are searching for people. They are behaving like wild dogs??????? and they are roaming around Male???????? in buses. What do they need to use weapons against innocent Maldivians? I saw them using electric shock batons tonight and saw some people being dragged on the ground and hit over the head by the police. They also used filthy language against us.???????

04:31AM: Police surround MDP Haruge Freedom Tent in lorries, and storm the tent

04:30AM: MDP Harugue Freedom Tent stormed by police – many beaten, arrests made

UPDATE: Latest here.