[Praxeologue]

There are no good alternatives. Neither group has clean hands. Firebombs aren't passive resistance. Of course they were likely just a few, perhaps paid, false flag provocateurs, maybe Russian agents. Who is to know? This is not as easy as detecting the MB in Cairo shooting their fellow MBrs in the back.

What concrete steps do you think the U.S. should take, other than talk?

[1rudeboy]

In this case, I would argue that any provocateurs would be sniffed-out.

There's nothing the U.S. can do, other than talk. And hopefully remember that there are people in this part of the world who don't like Russians.

[Ivan Mazepa]

Nobody is asking for foreign military intervention.

What’s being asked is to deny travelling visas (done) and impose economic sanctions on government officials who authorized the police crackdown 3 months ago and had sanctioned kidnappings/beatings/murders that took place ever since.

Freeze their assets to hurt them where it hurts.