Prosecutors allege Orellana was helping protesters withstand less-lethal munitions being deployed by Los Angeles police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies after an unlawful assembly had been declared. [...] Asked how handing out defensive equipment was a crime [...], Essayli insisted Orellana was specifically handing out supplies to violent demonstrators. “He wasn’t handing masks out at the beach. ... They’re covering their faces. They’re wearing backpacks. These weren’t peaceful protesters,” he said.