Police violence is the reason French protesters go so hard. If you have to go in with the assumption that your protest will be met with violence you have to be aggressive in your tactics.

I have been to protests in the US where the organizers were able to make a clear distinction between the few who are risking arrest, and the rest who were under no risk, to the extent that very old retired people with mobility issues were comfortable joining; despite the intentions to commit crimes and have arrests. American protests are usually peaceful because you have a right to protest, and organizers can plan around the assumption of that right being respected.

Blaming guns for American having weak protests is a fundimential misrepresentation.