Spurred by the coup, mobs looted and burned Indian-owned shops as armed gangs roamed the streets. The military, the police and local newspapers all pledged to continue backing the government. But, just as Speight prepared to release a group of hostages, two influential ethnic Fijian groups reportedly threw their support behind the rebels. Still, former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka worked to negotiate an end to the crisis. “We are trying to avoid force,” he told reporters. “We have had enough bloodshed.”