The big question is why good people are so naive and allow themselves to be sucked into stupid actions?
I was on a lot of protests and direct actions in the 60s and 70s. We always had knowledge that others would try to use us for their agenda and not ours .... and we almost always successfully prevented it.
People behave differently in groups, and are much easier to influence. There were plenty of freepers telling people it was a trap and warning them not to go. It was clear this was going to be a sh!+show well before it happened. I talked a close friend out of going. I have little doubt he would be in jail had he gone.