I didn't say the threat of violence wasn't real. What's new is this kind of response to it, which is why I don't think it's really that threat that is the the reason for it. It's the sort of response that only makes everything worse for everybody.
Wearing masks is a very gentle response to the threat, compared to the kinds of things that have been done in the past. The historic response to threats against the police was excessive force and extrajudicial killings.
