Maldives - Protesters Clash With Police - NYTimes.com The police arrested at least 55 antigovernment protesters on Friday after clashes with security forces in the capital, Male. Nine officers were injured in the violence, which a police spokesman, Hassan Haneef, said was instigated by supporters of the Maldivian Democratic Party of former President Mohamed Nasheed. The allegations were denied by a party spokesman, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, who said the police had used "brutal force" to break up what had been a peaceful rally for new elections. The Maldives, a tiny country of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, has been caught up in political turmoil since Mr. Nasheed stepped down in February. He later claimed that he was forced out in what amounted to a military coup.