mohamad nasheed was the first democratically elected president. the u.s. said it would be sending a senior envoy this weekend. we are in the capital and filed this report. >> at the start of this week he was vice-president of the maldives. he was looking very pleased with himself as he arrived for his first news conference in just the have not got his job in a coup. >> do i look like someone who would bring about a could fatah? i think this is an unfair statement. >> the man who used to be his boss thinks it is unfair. some are treating him as a hero. he city was forced to resign at gunpoint. >> it was a coup. illegal and the government is illegal. in the streets frustration turned to a banker. >> scuffles have broken out. attacking police officers along the route. suddenly the tension has risen. this is the beginning of trouble. >> the former president was arrested and injured. he says they were targeting him and other senior figures. soldiers and police in riot gear sealed off much of the city center. in the main hospital, we found one of the former pres