subsequent regional council meetings in enigmatic silence, leaving the foreign consul to ponder his personal attitude towards possible armed resistance as the invasion drew near. Although his predecessor banned the People's Assembly meetings, Hafiz didn't interfere when the meetings resumed on 18 July with preparations for armed resistance their only order of business as Sarajevo settled into an uneasy peace. With the Hadži Lojo-controlled Assembly getting ready for a fight unimpeded by Ottoman authority, the Ottomans still retained the weapons and ammunition depots as confrontation between Hafiz and Hadži Lojo seemed inevitable. On 25 July Hadzi Lojo led a crowd in front of Konak demanding access to weapons depots from Hafiz who told the crowd he would wire the request to Istanbul, which won him another 48 hours. Civil disorder On 27 July, further evidence of Austro-Hungarian invasion sparked unrest as consul Wassitch distributed copies of the Emperor's proclamation about the occupation. In his report, Wassitch noted seeing shopkeepers closing up before noon in order to go home and claim weapons as the final assault on the Ottoman authority in the city was being prepared by Hadži Lojo. Just after noon, a crowd led by the charismatic populist leader showed up in front of Konak where Ottoman officials and local Muslim elite fled for protection. Local Muslim conscripts from nearby barracks deserted their units, joining the armed mob. Around 4 p.m. Hafiz's remaining Ottoman force tried to clear the street next to the Konak building, but the crowd, now swelled with defecting soldiers, fought back as two groups exchanged close range fire with an estimated twenty casualties on both sides. In the end, the Ottoman force managed to clear the street, but was also faced with more local soldiers deserting its ranks. As night fell on the city, Hafiz's dwindling troops returned to barracks while resurgent crowd outside began cutting water lines to the barracks, blocking the delivery of provisions, and cutting telegraph wires hoping to isolate the city and prevent Ottomans from summoning reinforcements. The People's Assembly began a meeting at the Sultan's Mosque that continued long into the night. The People's Government is proclaimed At daybreak, Hafiz made one last attempt at restoring his authority by leading his loyalists to the Bijela Tabija fortress high above the city but got nowhere as more of his troops deserted. He got captured and escorted back down into the city where