BY CHARLES RABIN AND DANIEL A. GRECH

 To some Miami residents, it was just punishment for the excessive force used by police on demonstrators. To others, it was an irrational abuse of power.

 Miami Mayor Joe Carollo's decision to fire City Manager Donald Warshaw has divided the community as much as the events that led to it.

 Carollo fired Warshaw Thursday following the city manager's refusal to dismiss Police Chief William O'Brien. The mayor is angry at O'Brien because the chief did not tell him ahead of time that federal agents were about to seize 6-year-old Cuban rafter Elian Gonzalez from his relatives' Little Havana home.

 He also criticizes O'Brien for allowing Assistant Chief John Brooks to accompany agents on the raid to clear the way through police barricades, and for the department's use of force against demonstrators who poured into the streets in support of Elian's Miami family.

 As Carollo made his announcement at City Hall Thursday night, an emotional, Cuban flag-waving crowd of about 200 stood behind police barricades outside, chanting for the removal of both Warshaw and O'Brien.

 Many were holding the now-famous picture of a federal agent pointing his gun toward Elian during the raid on the Gonzalez home -- with O'Brien's face imprinted over that of the agent.

 The protesters were delighted that Warshaw has been fired.

 ``I think that [Carollo] did the right thing,'' said Janet Garcia, 23, of Miami. ``The police were out of proportion and attacking people for no reason. I was just standing on the sidewalk at 27th and Flagler and a police officer grabbed and almost arrested me.''

 Maria Bejerano, 47, a Miamian who teaches emotionally disabled kids, agreed.

 ``I think he has been unjust to the taxpayers and did not follow procedures, and he needs to be fired,'' she said.

 But a small contingent of no more than 20 supporters of the two embattled city leaders also waited outside City Hall.

 ``These guys were doing their jobs,'' said Walt Allen, a 32-year-old computer programmer from Miami. ``The chief police official in the country gave an order. Warshaw and Brooks did their job.''

 Several people interviewed in downtown Miami agreed. They blamed pressure from Cuban Americans for the firing.

 ``The mayor is being irrational. It wasn't the city manager's fault.'' said Blanca Martinez, 40, a Brickell woman originally from Colombia who was eating at Cafe Giacomo, 1060 Brickell Ave. ``But I'm not surprised because of Carollo's personal interest and the pressure put on him by the Cuban community.''

 Tony Miros, 27, a Miami native of European ancestry, called the decision ``an abuse of power. The city manager handled the situation the right way, and the mayor is out of line. . . . Not everyone in this city is from Cuba or of Cuban heritage.''

 A Venezuelan lawyer on Brickell Avenue who didn't want to be identified for fear of losing his Cuban clients said: ``This is not a proper decision. It is the job of law enforcement to execute orders in a way that ensures public safety. The chief of police was just doing his job, and why would you fire someone for doing his job?''

 But, he said, ``Carollo was voted in power by the Cuban population, and he has been forced to respond to their interests.''

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald