the conceptual framework is actually based on the logic of police reaction. If protests are violent, then a proportionate use of force by the police may be seen as justified. If the protests are peaceful, a violent police reaction is seen as wrong. And even in cases where there’s no police violence, the context is one where the behavior of the protesters is seen as relevant — not because protestor violence is the default, but because the lack of police action needs an explanation, or because the writer is emphasizing the perceived cause of police restraint.