Thank you for making my point. Cops in riot gear make people tense. "It was peaceful until these guys came through."
But no I typically don't attend hive-mind events. I find the people who do to be kind of annoying.
(I hate it when I don't have internet for a day!) I didn't make your point at all, you don't see these folks ready to make a spontaneous drum circle just cause the police showed up.
if you get nervous around the po-po maybe you have a guilty conscious?

You did make my point which is that cops in riot gear (as opposed to cops in regular old unis) make people go "hmmm". You can't have a graduation party without a police detail. But cops in riot gear? Well that's another story. As a result, people tend to modify their behavior and their presence is not a calming one.
But what do you expect when you fly threatening and racist signs?