Yeah I think you’re saying that --correct me if I’m wrong-- him
bringing the AR to the protests is an act of provocation
while the person you’re arguing with said
open carry is not uncommon and no one felt provoked
At least that’s how I read it. Maybe I’m wrong. I can see how both statements could be true to some extent. Many protesters were from out of state and possibly not familiar with the open carry laws in WI so it’s possible they felt threatened immediately. I’m no longer living in the US, and I never lived in an open carry state, so the sight of an AR strapped to a kid would make me uncomfortable in that situation. However, I’ve also lived in the middle east were the sight of soldiers walking around not in uniform carrying semi automatic rifles was very common and that did not make me uncomfortable. So context is important.