On June 9, 1920 Mirza Kuchik Khan left Rasht in protest and also to avoid military confrontation (which he had always avoided as much as possible, even while fighting with the central government forces) and opened the way for the Communist (Edalat) party to set a coup d'état. The new administration, formally under Ehsanollah Khan but actually under the influence of Abukov (the Soviet Commissar) started a series of radical activities such as anti-religious propaganda, or forcing money out of the rich landlords.