Is It a Policing Policy?

In the most concrete terms, what we're experience in is widespread social unrest. And many of the videos we've seen of the police cracking down on peaceful protesters are hideous. What explains this? Is there a policy that led to this bizarre inversion of priorities? Are the police angry at the protesters for vilifying them, and simultaneously trying to teach lesson to the rest of society by letting crime and mahem just spread elsewhere in the city? Or is it just less risky to collide with peaceful protesters? Or is the whole spectacle itself a lie?...