Security forces in the Maldives used tear gas Tuesday to disrupt an opposition-led protest in the capital of Male.

A spokesman for President Mohamed Nasheed said the clashes began when about three dozen police officers joined the opposition rally and attacked another nearby demonstration led by members of the ruling party. There were no confirmed reports of injuries.

President Nashee's government has faced three weeks of mounting protests after he ordered the controversial arrest of a senior judge on charges of misconduct and favoring opposition figures.

Mr. Nasheed became the Maldives' first democratically elected president in 2008, replacing Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who held office for 30 years under a one-party system.

The Republic of Maldives is made up of about 1,200 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka.