psychegram
The Living Force
People are acting civilly, and as long as everyone manages to make it home at the end of the day to their families safely with their communities intact who cares how they choose to de-escalate or show solidarity with the protestors?
They weren't sent to put down protests, they were sent to put down riots and looting. So let's make sure our terminology is accurate.
Kneeling is not a gesture of de-escalation. Plenty of ways to de-escalate without humiliating oneself with a mass submission ritual.
Anyone who's ever dealt with a bully, or defused a tense situation in a bar, understands one thing quite well: weakness invites attack. Showing weakness does not de-escalate; very much the opposite. De-escalation is achieved when the belligerent party understands that their victim will not back down; will accept a fight if offered; can obviously handle themselves in a fight; but will not initiate violence. It's a very primal thing. Show fear to an angry dog, and it will become more aggressive; respond to the dog calmly and firmly, with no trace of fear, and the dog's hindbrain thinks 'oh, this primate isn't scared of me ... probably a good reason for that, maybe best if I don't attack as it might go badly for me.'