So the cops should have mutinied against orders?
You don’t obey unlawful orders. Precedent was set, ironically, at the Nuremburg trials.
Anyone police executive that cares to could read any number of after action reports from Ferguson and Baltimore and be prepared.
They failed to have the assets and plans in place for this, forced the two sides to collide and then left.
Somebody has to tell that mayor to go to hell, we have to keep peace.
And if that means getting stick time in, or deploying CS, then by God you do it.
Or be prepared to watch your town burn down ala Ferguson.