I don’t know what to believe. There had to have been plenty of law enforcement around. This crowd didn’t gather out of thin air. It took at least some amount of time to get the group together.
I would imagine a stand down order was given. This is a big big problem on many fronts if true.
A couple officers could have easily put an end to this.
Yes they could have, but have you seen the police Chief of Durham NC? She is a black female, and so it's easy to see why she would have no particular interest in protecting such a statue, and quite plausibly a great deal of animosity for it.
The personal preferences of a Chief are often understood and accommodated by their officers. What we have seen may have been a consequence of this dynamic.