Blue, I absolutely agree with you. You should not spray peaceful protesters.
However, if the peaceful protesters are given legal orders and they dont follow them, if anything gets thrown at police or others, if lasers are pointed at eyes, if there is destruction to buildings, if they are vandalizing anything that belongs to someone else, then they are no peaceful protesters. Lastly, if there are peaceful protesters in with those who that are rioting, then they cant claim to be peaceful. It would be like someone sitting in a getaway car while another person robs a bank. Expect to get gassed!
If they truely want things to be peaceful to protest the very thing that EVERYONE already agrees with (so why are they protesting) then they should take back their protests and get the garbage rioters out of their protests. You say the other officers are guilty for not stopping the knee right?
I served my country for the right for people to protest, but those spoiled little middle to upper middle class opportunists who wish to destroy have done nothing but take, complain and try and dismantle. My respect goes to the protesters, not the rioters!