Cowards. Ordered the removal take place in the dark of night.
The powers-that-were also arrested Jesus in the dark of night to avoid the people’s wrath.
Matthew 26: 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”