I agree.
The threat of death or injury for an “illegal protest” should never come from a COP.
In that case, the cyclist posed a threat to no one until a dirty cop decided to lineback him onto the sidewalk.
The threat of death or injury comes from the actions of the “protesters”. They are violating the law, tying up traffic, and causing a hazardous condition wherever they go.
Now, the police can either ignore this or do something about it. If they decide to do something about it, how are they to stop a bicyclist who refuses to stop?
I think we can agree up front that shooting them is right out. Likewise Tazing them might be problematic, seeing as how they are moving so fast. Frankly, tackling them seems to be about the only thing they can do, other than letting them go.
Now, I am confident that the NYPD is working diligently on a countermeasure for this sort of protest. Before too long, they will come up with something that the bicyclists just can’t get around, and that will be the end of that. The NYPD tactics have pretty much eliminated the hazards involved in mass marches, greatly reducing the violence all around. It is only a matter of time before they solve this problem too.