Maybe not "equally", but they are both intolerant. The groupthinks of both teams are used to mobilize violence against easy targets of their outgroups, regardless of the purported goal.
The real distinction to draw here is the matter of numbers. A counter protester is "punching up" in respect to the more numerous mob. They're not likely to get the mob to put down their pitchforks no matter how well-crafted their sign. But as this story demonstrates, their presence makes for human faces that object to the furor.
The real distinction to draw here is the matter of numbers. A counter protester is "punching up" in respect to the more numerous mob. They're not likely to get the mob to put down their pitchforks no matter how well-crafted their sign. But as this story demonstrates, their presence makes for human faces that object to the furor.