The hangings

We went to the town square for the public hangings.
By the time we got there, the crowd was shouting DEATH DEATH DEATH!
Three hooded and jumpsuited figures were on the platform, ropes around their necks and tied to a bar.
Nobody knew who they were.
Or what they had done.
A solder walked up a set of stairs to the platform, and shoved each figure forward, and they fell, and the ropes went taut.
One of them kicked for a minute, then went still.
Shit ran down from each of their pant cuffs to the ground.
The crowd cheered.