Like so much that you write, this is flatly false. We had demonstrations here in Salt Lake City on Saturday that turned destructive and violent, mostly because destructive and violent people among those demonstrating started destroying property. When police responded to the arson and vandalism the knuckleheads started assaulting them with thrown objects, some potentially lethal, spitting on them, and of course with foul language and personal insult.

Despite the constant provocations the police remained controlled and non-violent towards peaceful demonstrators. Many of the cops on the front lines were women, minorities, relatively small people without significant armor or protection from those assaulting them. They made 41 arrests, mostly of people refusing to disperse hours after the mayor declared a curfew.

I would challenge any of the “demonstrators” trying to turn a peaceful demonstration violent to take the abuse that they were handing out to police and National Guard without responding in kind. I am certain they would fail the test. Maintaining peace and public safety under these conditions is both difficult and dangerous, attacking fellow citizens doing this difficult job from the relative safety of a crowd is the act of cowards.