Male: Protesters stormed an India-backed public yoga session in the Maldives on Tuesday, with police in the South Asian tourist paradise firing tear gas to clear the mob.
Dozens of people waving white flags emblazoned with religious slogans chased out a crowd sitting on gym mats and preparing to mark International Yoga Day at a football stadium in the capital Male.
Police responded with tear gas and arrested six people after the mob smashed billboards advertising the event, which was organised by the sports ministry and the local Indian Cultural Centre.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said the attack was of "serious concern", adding that police were investigating.
"Those responsible will be swiftly brought before the law," he said on Twitter.
Tuesday's yoga session in Male was one of many organised around the world to mark International Yoga Day, an annual event adopted by the United Nations in 2014.
