The group of officers was supported by most of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade the "Wolves" special forces unit. Although the government was defended by elements of the Army and by police units, Skopje, the capital, was fully secured by the mutinous forces within three hours. Petrovski declared himself the new President of Macedonia, while Ivanov, the interim Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev, and a number of other politicians were placed under house arrest. The opposition leader and organizer of the protests, Zoran Zaev, was also arrested, since he was considered a possible rival by Petrovski.