Suggestions if you go to any protest:
1. Buy (with cash) pre-paid burner phones for everyone in your group
2. Insist that everyone leave their personal mobile phones at home, turned on & charging
3. Don’t activate the burner phones until you get close to the protest
4. Wear a mask! Surgical mask, not a balaclava or other tactical mask!
5. Think long & hard about what weapons, if any, you might carry. Bear spray or mace might be illegal in some jurisdictions (e.g. it’s illegal to carry a weapon of self defense in NYC)
My suggestion would be DON'T GO.
There isn't any point in peaceful protests. Politicians simply ignore them. Violent protests are the only actions that have any effect these days. And most of those are sponsored indirectly by the Government to intimidate political opponents. Others are honeypot traps (See Jan 6 for worked examples). You cannot run in those crowds without being tagged by volunteer snitches and Government agents. And some of them will offer you "jobs" or "projects" too. You may have a lot of trouble if you refuse such offers and even more if you accept them.
Strict "burner" cell phone discipline is practically impossible to maintain in a group and it only takes one person screwing up to expose the entire group. Active units can be identified and intercepted in real-time, while also leaving call and location records searchable for at least 90 days. Some phones remain active even after they are supposedly turned off. Using burners is a plan for failure.
The ANTIFA coordinator guys use earbud radios with frequency hopping or encryption features. Pricey, but very hard to intercept or track. Ordinary CB radios work well too, because they are hard to trace back to definitive owners. The low-level mules who deliver supplies to the rioters might be using their own personal cell phones, but nobody cares much. The Feds aren't looking for them. They will be looking for you if you show up at one of their festivals.
Masking is always a good idea at a festival. It gives you more time to find the exits before the major event, since you are harder to identify and intercept. Surgical masks are indeed perfect camouflage. But remember, it is better to leave the party early than late. Hanging around to watch the fun is a mistake.
Any weapon you bring to a festival is going to be a problem if you use it or even display it. It does not matter how "justified" that use may be. It is safer to travel in small packs of 3-4 people and stick together. Quick exit is your best bet in any case of violence. The police are not your friends. In general, they are going to follow orders from people who are your enemies.
Plan accordingly.
Stay safe.