The authority to stop this was an uncorrupted government that cared to stop it, which we haven't had in a while. Hell, we've gone so far past it that they're actively encouraging it now. While this symptom is relatively new, the disease has been progressing for decades. Once the government stopped keeping the police in line, and the people stopped caring to fix the government to get that back on track, it was inevitable that we'd need to revolt to bring things back. Now the question is whether or not that will be enough. I hope it is.

The Black Panthers bore arms and escorted people. The establishment became much more respectful of the innocent, when they didn't have a monopoly on violence.

Of course it works. Armed protests have always been a pretty successful strategy in the US.

I want violence to be the last thing we try. But letting them think we won't use violence is not working

Nah, remember all the times the right protested while armed? Remember all the times the law came down hard? Me neither.

Do like the Bundys, or the Republic of Texas separatists.

Not necessarily, it would be more akin to a mutually assured destruction kind of thing

https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-richmond-virginia-charlottesville-us-news-2c997c92fa7acd394f7cbb89882d9b5b

It's been repeatedly demonstrated that a line of calm riflemen backing protestors prevents police from rioting or doing anything they shouldn't.