The capital was calm Saturday, but the National Security Service patrolled the capital city, Male, and posted armored personnel carriers at major intersections, the said.
Police on Friday used tear gas to disperse the protesters and arrested about 100 of them.
There were no reports of violence during the night, and a curfew imposed on Friday was relaxed Saturday allowing people to come out of their homes.
“The government is under full control of the situation and there is calm” in the capital, chief government spokesman Ahmed Shaheed said on Saturday.
However, witnesses said Internet and mobile phone text messaging services were not functioning on Saturday. A pro-democracy Web site, maldivesculture.com, said access to the site inside the country had been blocked, but that it could still be read outside Maldives. At least five civilians and two policemen were admitted to the hospital after Friday’s violence, a paramedic at the hospital said Saturday on condition of anonymity.
On Friday, government radio announced a state of emergency under which President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled since 1978, has the authority to suspend citizens’ rights, preventing public assemblies or criticism of the government.
The measures were taken to”prevent deterioration of law and order,” a government statement said.
On Friday, the pro-democracy protesters gathered outside Male’s police headquarters to protest the detention of four people. The police did not say why they were detained, but activists said they are members of pro-democracy groups.
Fearing a standoff, police released the four.
But security forces later fired tear gas and rounded up several demonstrators when the crowd of about 3,000 refused to leave saying the government should release more political prisoners, witnesses said.
The protest was a rare event in Maldives. Political parties are banned in this nation of 278,000 people on 1,192 coral islands, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) off the coast of India.
“Police worked with restraint ... to peacefully disrupt the mob through dialogue and discussion. The mob comprised various unruly elements of society,” the government said.
The government said two unarmed policemen were stabbed during Friday’s violence.
President Gayoom has promised democratic reforms - apparently prompted by international pressure, anti-government riots in 2003 amid allegations of torture of prisoners.
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