[1] After mass protest forced him to resign, John unsuccessfully attempted in 1981 to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Eugenia Charles with the backing of white supremacist groups (in what became dubbed "Operation Red Dog").
John's government also opened a new deepwater harbour at Fond Cole and started the Dominica Social Security system.
[7] That act made it legal to arrest any "Dread" without a warrant and deny bail to anyone wearing "a badge of the society" i.e.
[1] Sentiment against the Labour Party government led by John continued to grow after the implementation of the Dread Act.
On 29 May 1979, John's attempts to quell opposition to his leadership led to a clash outside parliament in which a young man named Phillip Timothy and another individual were killed, and a dozen others wounded.
The Committee for National Salvation, led by Charles Savarin, called for a general strike and the resignation of John and the government.
[8][1] John led the rump Labour Party in the 1980 general election, however, he lost his seat in the Dominica House of Assembly.
[4] In 1981 John was among seven individuals including former commander of the DDF Major Frederick Newton, who were arrested for alleged plots to overthrow the government.
Disaffected Dominica Defense Force (DDF) members, aided by a group of Dreads (Rastafarians) near Giraudel, and foreign mercenaries sought to overthrow the duly elected Dominica Freedom Party government led by Prime Minister Mary Eugenia Charles.
[12] John was later pardoned by the same Prime Minister Mary Eugenia Charles he sought to overthrow, and he was released from prison on May 29, 1990.