Not sure what your issue is as it seems like we're on the same page on the use of deadly force/pointing a firearm and I didn't quote you in particular to begin with.
That said, I don't think "nitpicking" is the right term when discussing the nuances of decision making that can send the reader to jail or not. I'm not ignoring the context, I've worked in this context. Nothing known in the context would justify pointing a firearm, yet "molotov" and "riot" have already appeared in the thread despite the complete absence of both.
But since you quoted me, the crowd would have no idea if I had my "fighting gear together" or not. My favorite response to a residential protest, which was from a public figure, was to call the police and then go to church. I have a bug out bag. I have a family who doesn't need to be exposed to this sort of noisy idiocy. So, no, my plan is not similar to the thread's original hero of posturing with a gun. My plan is to call the police and once they arrive get my family to a different location.