It has been my experience when out with the DC Freepers in Washington that the authorities show a marked deference to the conservatives counter-protesting, no matter the situation.
I remember out at the roundabout near Arlington National Cemetery, when we were all set and waiting for the moonbats to come over the bridge, the state police who were standing nearby waiting to get set up as well engaged us in conversation.
They had to be and appear publicly impartial, but there was not doubt they didn’t have any issues with us, by their speech and demeanor.
They understood we were generally not looking to confront them and would comply with legally issued instructions if asked.
But hey. It is those evil Tea Party people we have to worry about, right?
I used to have a liberal Ann Arbor cop living next door to me. We chatted about protests because college students have made it an art form and he told me that those protesters were the main reason he moved to our conservative little town.
He could go to work and not worry about the safety of his wife and daughters in a conservative area. He said that liberals try to provoke responses from police while conservatives take pains to avoid provoking them. Liberals make threats and conservatives make small talk.
I think the guy was discovering that he wasn’t as liberal as he thought.