Crowd is number 1 weapon in 21st century, you can't ignore even a small group of people that got together to protest something, look at other countries, their experience, crowds with well organized head lead to civil war if idea that they push has political/antigovernment behavior. I wanna assure you that there is no accidents with pepper spray, cops are not idiots, especially when it comes to some case that got picked up by media, it's not a decision of one person to get it done this way.

1000 protesting ----> 200 000 protesting - is a matter of 4-5 hours.