Jumping on someone's back or grappling at them from behind is the very definition of an assault... unless you're an imbecile. Then when someone jumps you from behind it's not an assault, it's an opportunity to bash the candidate who's not your guy.
In that case, armed security details should just allow people to jump on them and possibly grab their weapons.
Some FReepers like their politics bean-bag and kewpie-doll sweet.
I like brass knuckles when called for, and the USA is worth 200 million sets of brass knuckles swinging right now. Clutching out pearls and wringing our hands against the Left’s 24/7/365 assault got us where we are now, Nationless.
And ripping the sign out of his hand was not assault? It wasn’t strong-arm robbery?
Sorry, but if you rip something out of my hand, you’re damn right I’m going to take it right back. And it would be justified. New York law allows the use of physical force to prevent or terminate a larceny:
“A person may use physical force, other than deadly physical force,
upon another person when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent or terminate what he or she reasonably believes to be the commission or attempted commission by such other person of larceny or of criminal mischief with respect to property other than premises”