Generally speaking there also has to be a way to deal with peaceful protesters if they hurt the society's normal functions for too long. In the end these protesters are relying on that very empathy and also the laws protecting from bodily harm. But if you consider for example the trains carrying nuclear waste in France/Germany that are with 90% certainty hampered by peaceful protesters who sit on the rails or even chain themselves to them, what would you do to them? A train carrying nuclear waste can't sit in the middle of nowhere forever, nor can the particular railroad be kept blocked from all traffic forever.

While I don't view Sapphi's incident of pepper spraying appropriate, there has to be some way to allow the uninvolved continue their normal daily lives if the protesters harmed it for too long.