Unfortunate Endings

On May 29, 1979, in the face of widespread protests to his leadership, soldiers from the Dominica Defence Force fired on demonstrating crowds gathered outside the House of Assembly, as a result several were injured and one young man was killed. Representatives of civil society called for the resignation of the government however, John and Finance Minister Victor Riviere did not resign, but instead members did, shifting the balance of power that resulted in a new "interim government" headed by Prime Minister Oliver Seraphin.

General elections were held in 1980 resulting in Mr. Patrick John losing his seat in the House of Assembly. Not pleased, Mr. John unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Eugenia Charles with the backing of white supremacist groups (in what became dubbed "Operation Red Dog"). As a result, he was jailed for twelve years.