"Peaceful protest is being squashed and de-legitimized. This is the flowering of fascism."
This is really not true. The protests turned quickly into riots and the more heavy-handed police tactics literally started only days later.
The rioters burnt down a police station for gosh sakes.
There are no 'protetors' clashing with police in a violent way. I think decent folks move on after curfew.
It's the adventure-seeking rabble, those out for some photos, who want to see the action first hand, who might want to light something in fire. The people not dispersing at curfew I don't think are ideological or protesters in any sense of the word. It's just youth in antagonism for every and all reasons, as old as time.
Peaceful protest is being squashed and de-legitimized. This is the flowering of fascism.