This may sound crazy, but I actually like riot police.
There are riots, even at previously/mostly peaceful protests, and these people can become violent and even dangerous.
Take a normal person, even a cop, and if you stab them, beat them with a baseball bat, shoot at them, they will die. So, naturally, the police will respond back violently to defend their lives.
But when that same person, goes out of their way, for an anticipated attack, and decides to go a non-lethal route by taking the hits that might otherwise kill them, dress up in expensive, heavy, 75 pound, hot armor, with a baton and a shield, and fight back, non violently, via batons or, even better pepper spray, tear gas, tazers etc. while not an ideal, and definitely a brutal situation, is definitely a lot better than letting a crowd get out of control, rob stores, kill people set stuff on fire etc. or having to respond back, in a matter that will eventually result, which results in the police being overwhelmed or the protestors, even if bad, being killed by the police.
This is a much better solution.
Being angry at the better option seems stupid and kind of irresponsible to me. Tear gas, pepper spray, it's all non lethal, it's all a deterrent to break up a crowd without firing actual bullets at them. They don't stop until shit gets real, and this is the much better option.
Edited by Manoka, 04 July 2013 - 09:31 PM.