LAPD cops tried to arrest a protester last night and were denied. Look at the fear in their faces afterwards. There are more of us than there are of them. pic.twitter.com/EvHgpZao4T— John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave (@StrangeAlienSky) May 4, 2022
In addition to the tubes or shields in front, big marches often included a second rank of shields pointed upwards to fend off munitions that were shot or thrown over the front line. These can be seen clearly in the background of this photo of a police line being overwhelmed
Looks like protest movements have re-invented phalanx tactics.
Testudo formation!