▁despite ▁the ▁government ' s ▁ban ▁on ▁protest s , ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁carry ▁on ▁with ▁their ▁scheduled ▁protest . ▁A ▁crowd ▁of ▁around ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁gathered ▁at ▁the ▁St ade ▁du ▁ 2 8 ▁Sept embre ▁on ▁the ▁day , ▁carrying ▁signs ▁that ▁read ▁" Down ▁with ▁the ▁army ▁in ▁power " ▁and ▁calling ▁for ▁an ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁" D ad is ▁show ". ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁e y ew it ness ▁accounts , ▁the ▁el ite ▁President ial ▁Guard , ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Red ▁Ber ets ", ▁came ▁in ▁tr uck s ▁and ▁threw ▁te ar ▁gas ▁on ▁the ▁crowd ▁at ▁first , ▁but ▁later ▁opened ▁fire . ▁In ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁terror ▁and ▁pan ic , ▁people ▁started ▁running , ▁falling ▁and ▁getting ▁hit . ▁Y ouss ou f ▁K ou mb assa , ▁an ▁e y ew it ness , ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁troops ▁stri pped ▁down ▁some ▁female ▁protest ers . ▁The ▁equipment ▁of ▁a ▁French ▁journalist ▁was ▁seized ▁and ▁sm ashed . ▁Protest ers ▁fled ▁the ▁stad ium ▁and ▁pou red ▁into ▁the ▁streets , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁purs ued ▁and ▁fired ▁on ▁by ▁troops . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁shooting ▁incident , ▁soldiers ▁were ▁seen ▁public ly ▁rap ing ▁women , ▁killing ▁people , ▁and ▁lo oting ▁stores . ▁According ▁to ▁one ▁e y ew it ness , ▁soldiers ▁asked ▁people ▁if ▁they ▁supported ▁Cam ara , ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁were ▁summar ily ▁executed , ▁that