It’s not even that. It’s more like when all the cops are stationed at a protest, some people become aware that they can commit crime without repercussion. Including torching a car or breaking into stores.

If you don’t want that, keep your cops dispersed and friendly

LA would have been fine with small teams of cops wearing hardhats and less oppressive gear roaming around keeping the protesters safe.

Heck, put together protest teams consisting of 2 cops, 1 lafd/emt, and 1 sanitation worker, just walking around providing community service. They’d be cheered as heroes.