zlacker

A better way to set expectations would be to not equip the cops with riot and war gear face shields, batons, tear gas etc. Equip them with cargo shorts, dad style new balance shoes, and polo shirts. The police should be there to deescalate, not escalate. There are a lot of studies that show that "the uniform makes the man" and by outfitting someone in war gear, they are primed to "go to war". It sounds insane, but in the 70s, menlo park changed their police uniforms from the standard issue to suit and tie, and not only did incidents of officer involved violence go down by like 50%, but citizen on citizen violence also went down by like 30%. The reality is, the people have a right to peacefully assemble, so setting expectations that the cops are going to beat the shit out of people in a peaceful assembly is morally wrong and unconstitutional.

>>0xB31B+(OP)
Another thing to point out about gear specifically that doesn't seem to be getting talked about:

All of those full face respirators the cops are wearing would also work great for healthcare workers, who are still dealing with COVID-19. Specifically anything with pink cartridges has a P100 particulate filter, the highest level of filtration (99.97% vs N95 95%). When you see a picture of cops wearing or holding respirators, you should think of the nurses, EMTs, and vulnerable people that have been deprived of that PPE, just so the cops don't have to think about which direction the wind is blowing before they open fire on peaceful protestors.