But sitting out did help trump…

If the end result is the same, does the motivation matter?

They will never stop. They will just let Trump do awful shit, unfazed, so they can point and blame this is their fault.

look how triggered and nasty they get when confronted with their hypocrisy.

those of us who were equally appalled by all of that

That's about 4 people, the rest are fascist Trumpers, or fascist-light libs/dems.
Cry all the little crocodile tears you want, do some projection calling others fascist and most of all, enjoy your just rewards.
Fuck your cancerous shithole. Glad you're circling the drain. Won't be missed

I get your point, but people should feel sickened and nauseated by this. They need to see and know it’s real. The consequences of fascism need to be driven home viscerally, into their very cores. They need to see the real, uncensored world they created and are living in. Censorship of atrocity is a criminal injustice that feeds fascism, authoritarianism, and its support.

Renee Nicole Good is not Thích Quảng Đức. She didn’t choose this. She didn’t want to die, to leave her children behind, to widow her spouse, to bereave her family. She was murdered by bloodthirsty Republican fascists. It is up to us, the living, to make her unwilling sacrifice matter. Her murder should be a nauseating core memory for everyone in North America and the world, and a reminder of the horrifying consequences of allowing fascism to foment or attain power.

I was commenting on self defense usage in general. Though all the gung ho idiots seem to forget the first rule, avoid a situation where you'll need to fight/defend yourself. This is from someone who has been educated with self defense classes, reading, and examples.

no. i just didn't want to distract from my core point about dealing with pepperball chargers and i already have a reputation on the threadiverse for being longwinded.

your protest kit should include:

Outfit

• nondescript ball or running cap
• eyewear, the bigger the better (splash goggles preferred)
• a facial covering (ppe like kn95 on n95 preferred)
• a neck scarf if you have tattoos on your neck
• long sleeve moisture wicking non-descript shirt you can run in
• supportive running gear (a sports bra if you have breasts that need supporting when running, running shorts or half tights no matter who you are, athletic underwear will also work, too)
• long pants you can run in (this will go over your supportive running gear)
• moisture wicking seamless socks (xotoes or injinji are extra recommended, though if toe socks aren't your thing i'd point you to darn tough, farm 2 feet, or balega)

Gloves

These are listed separately from the rest of the outfit as depending on the circumstances you find yourself in you may have different needs so you should bring all

• nitrile gloves (for first aid)
• mechanics gloves (for general protectiun)
• warm gloves (if it's cold)
• welding gloves (for removing and diffusing tear gas canisters)

Shoes

These are listed separately from the rest of the outfit as there's no general consensus for what is best, so you'll have to think about your own risk model and what you do at a protest to decide what makes sense for you. Whatever you pick, you need to pick something closed toed that you can spend at least 2 hours standing in, minimum

• running shoes
• training athletic shoes (aka gym shoes/cross trainers)
• big man outdoor basketball shoes (though these are basically not found anywere but china anymore as big men at the top level of the sport have gotten shockingly nimble and americans don't play on outdoor courts anymore. i would look at New Balance's offerings if you go this route as they have some american market fresh foam outdoor court shoes)
• tennis shoes (literal tennis shoes. for tennis.)
• combat boots
• work boots
• steel toed shoes

Other equipment

• a nondescript backpack you can run in (reebok's gym bags fit the bill excellently)
• an umbrella (useful for deflecting riot control devices)
• water bottles (plural)
• first aid kit
• a collapsible traffic cone
• a tourniquet (assuming you have proper stop the bleed training)
• a knife you feel comfortable carrying, smaller preferred, locking also preferred (i'd probably recommend the civivi baby banter 2)
• antihistamines
• menthol balm
• lip balm
• whistles (to use and distribute. learn the ICE alerting whistle blast patterns)

Some final notes

not everyone will be able to carry everything. you just need good coverage of all this stuff so that if anything happens someone nearby has what your group will need. go to a couple of protests and bring with you what you can that you believe would be the most useful. pay attention to what others have, but more importantly, keep an eye on what NO ONE has. the last couple of protests i've been to, NO ONE had anything to handle a tear gas canister and believed it was criminal to be prepared to diffuse one. so now i always make sure to bring welding gloves or oven mitts.

remember, the best way to keep yourself safe is to keep everyone safe. no one brings about change by waiting patiently for change to come. we live in dangerous times and the best way to make everyone safe is to bring about change. so you're going to have to step out and step up in this moment if you want to be safe. it will feel dangerous, but it's better to go out and resist fascism than it is to wait around and guarantee yourself a spot in the concentration camps.

as a final note: study ancient warfare. the police are trained to treat us like bands of savages. the sword and the spear are still the ultimate signifier of aristocratic power and people power. the modern day sword is the AR-15/AK-47 (depending on where in the world you are). it is complex, and it requires maintenance, and it requires training to use effectively. i'm not sure what the spear of liberation in our era is, but i'd keep an eye out for what it is, who's using it, and what it takes for a crowd to become effective with it.

as you study ancient warfare, pay particular attention to the jungle tactics employed in South America, Africa, and South East Asia as jungle and urban combat have a lot in common, and these tactics proved the most effective against the great European powers throughout the ages, even separating Haiti from Napoleonic France and preventing Vietnam from becoming an American Vassal state after France gave up on controlling them