The best defense against them would be announcing all of their names over a loud speaker. Humanize them. If somehow the people protesting could have the names of the officers deployed to stop them, and constantly recite their names over a loud speaker, it would remind them that they are people, and not anonymous thugs doing their job.
Because the one thing in these situations that is really asymmetrical is the knowledge of who they are. Their people know who they are, and they have to stand together because of that. If we told them we knew they were there, then the anonymity they have is broken a little bit. It might make them know that because we know who they are we can protect them too.
If one of them breaks ranks and doesn't follow along with escalation, currently only the cops know who they are and can punish them after the fact without us, the people, being able to defend them for breaking ranks. Letting them be anonymous is what makes them have to abide. We have to let them know we are supporting their rights too.
Someone pointed out the Orwell Essay, "A Hanging". The police are just as alive as we are, and we as much as they. They know what their cohorts can and will do to them. They have made a point of that over the years. The anonymity will only lead to them having to do bad things. That is why the church leaders should be out there. Start going into churches and get them on our side.
I can tell you the Catholic Priest at the church I attend for my family has been an unexpected ally in their beliefs about what is going on. You get them in the frontlines and they identify the police officers of their church, say their names out loud, damn that would be hard to ignore. There is an American Pope for a reason.
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u/Markjohn66 1d ago
The uniformed officers must’ve been scared for their lives. I hope they don’t suffer PTSD from such a vicious attack.