After months of sustained protesting and violence, it isn't surprising at all that those who make their living as cops on these front lines would become more exasperated and aggressive as that is the human condition, regardless of how well trained they are or how well protesters see themselves operating within the lawful boundaries in exercising their freedom of speech.

Crowd control measures, including pepper spray, should be whole heartedly accepted by the protesters as the price they should pay for breaking civility in the quest we all have for a peaceful event.

The police instigate the violence EVERY TIME. The police are the problem. When the fed goons were still there but stayed in their hidey holes instead of coming out to gas, assault, and snatch people off the streets, there was no violence. THE POLICE ARE THE PROBLEM.

When the Proud Boys failed to instigate a racial confrontation, the police stepped in and started the violence against protesters there to counter the Proud Boys' white supremacist bullshit.

THE POLICE ARE THE PROBLEM. Why the fuck should taxpayer dollars be spent on these violent, racist shit bags? This is why we must defund the police. Make it so they don't have the time, money, or resources to assault anyone. Defund them back into the stone age where they get one shitty car, a radio, a baton, maybe a pistol, and no overtime. Make it so every cop that shoots his weapon is fired and loses his pension and every cop who kills goes to prison, no exceptions.

This country has defunded EVERYTHING into oblivion (other than CEO pay and Billionaire tax cuts) so it is totally possible to defund the police and survive.

What is the point of being outside on the streets after dark if not to cause problems?

@4 Ask that Kyle kid. Has something to do with freedom and you need a gun apparently.

@3
Ah yes, physical violence and chemical weapons, a reasonable and measured response to a traffic violation. One look at those injured civilians and my heart jumps back to memories of childhood in my normal American town.

Any justification of this police brutality signifies what a neo nazi worm you truly are.

DEFUND the police! They are kkk rats and they are only too happy to ally with these racist. cowardly proud boys.

Dramatic change is necessary to stop police murders and brutality.

Stop paying for these thugs known as law enforcement.

1 You are truly contemptible.

@11: Strange that you would say that. I'm on the side of peace.

How about reform the police. I'm okay with firing half the fucking department, but defunding will only leave a power vacuum, and you don't want people like the Proud Boys filling that power vacuum. You also don't want idiots like Raz handing out to guns to kids.

The only option that doesn't lead to death is:
* get rid of bad officers
* abolish their unions.
* get rid of civil forfeiture
* get rid of the ridiculous immunity

That's a reasonable proposal that probably most Americans will agree with and can actually be accomplished. "Abolish the police" is ridiculous slogan nobody in the center will agree with and only serves to further the screechings of Sawant and friends, who do not actually care about black lives.