It's trendy these days to be anti colonialism, but as soon as you mention ireland all the support fizzles out. Fucks up with that? Most young people hate tories, hate british empire, etc etc, but then you say IRA and everyone gets scared. It's not even like my generation has an emotional attachment to it either - it's before our time
A lot of people just don't understand that the status quo is violent. The protests against police are changing that perception though, slowly but surely.
Oh yeah, for a lot of people who are comfortable and have never been beaten my police, the idea of violent self-defense feels extreme. But when you are constantly patrolled by racist cops, the idea of officers being redacted and having breathing space in your neighborhood sounds fucking nice as hell.
Exactly, violence in response to institutional oppression is self defense and 100% unquestionably justified.