Parallels

A large number – hundreds – of highly-motivated individuals – activists – are upset at recent and pending legal decisions. They gather outside government buildings which are protected by police, the police being augmented by reserves and potentially reinforced by National Guard soldiers. The buildings are surrounded by a fence, demarcating a line beyond which demonstrators are not permitted. Some of the activists equip themselves with shields, helmets, and other defensive gear to protect against the expected use of non-lethal weapons by the police; some of the activists also carry improvised weapons such as poles or bricks, to be used against police and other security forces. Early hours of the rally can be described as peaceful, but the rallies do not end without the fence line being breached, police and security forces assaulted, non-lethal weapons notably tear gas employed, and activists detained and arrested, generally on misdemeanor charges. Some individuals when detained claim to be journalists and entitled to heightened protection under the First Amendment. It is alleged that police used excessive force in attempting to repel trespassers. Deployment of National Guard forces draws assertions that the Guard constitutes military occupation. Others are upset by the use of nearby non-government property by the Guard in connection with its deployment. Some national politicians, on highly partisan lines, support the activists. Some of the activists are additionally motivated by a distinct anti-police and occassionally anti-government bias.