"I'm gonna bring my assault rifle to a protest I don't agree with and harass people until they attack me so I have an excuse to shoot them"

Is not self defense.

A bully being attacked by their victim is not defending themselves. The people of the protest were defending themselves from a murderous psycho child with an assault rifle.

You can live in whatever right-wing delusion you want, it won't change reality, and it won't make you a respectable person.