, ▁while ▁a ▁civil ian ▁would ▁be ▁appointed ▁as ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁government ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁eth n ically ▁bal anced . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁when ▁Cam ara ▁took ▁over ▁power ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁support , ▁the ▁public ▁being ▁tired ▁of ▁L ans ana ▁Cont é ' s ▁ 2 4 - year - long ▁author itar ian ▁rule . ▁Cam ara ▁promised ▁a ▁smooth ▁transition ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁dem ocracy ▁and ▁a ▁president ial ▁election ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁stand . ▁He ▁gained ▁much ▁popular ity ▁by ▁crack ing ▁down ▁on ▁drug ▁deal ers , ▁including ▁O us man e ▁Cont é , ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁President , ▁and ▁by ▁making ▁them ▁admit ▁wrong do ing ▁on ▁his ▁television ▁show . ▁Later , ▁Cam ara ▁lost ▁support ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁dict ator ship - like ▁rule ▁and ▁ab us ive ▁behavior ▁by ▁him ▁and ▁his ▁forces ▁that ▁indul ged ▁in ▁violence , ▁rob ber ies ▁and ▁ra pes . ▁He ▁himself ▁hum ili ated ▁several ▁foreign ▁amb ass adors , ▁polit icians ▁and ▁leaders ▁by ▁telling ▁them ▁to ▁" sh ut ▁up ▁or ▁leave " ▁from ▁meet ings . ▁This ▁had ▁a ▁negative ▁impact ▁on ▁his ▁image ▁in ▁public , ▁and ▁gar ner ed ▁him ▁criticism ▁for ▁the ▁err atic ▁behavior . ▁ ▁Protest ▁The ▁oppon ents ▁had ▁decided ▁to ▁stage ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁September ▁against ▁the ▁likely ▁participation ▁of ▁Cam ara ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁president ial ▁election , ▁and