There were no open and organized calls for violence, attacking government institutions, or executing representatives, leading up to the protests I was a part of (someone did throw an egg though). There are now, and a recent and pretty successful attack on the Capital. That's why we need tighter controls now.

And what would have happened back then with no fences? The fences were a block back from the street, and I was inside them. Most likely there would have been a much larger visible protesting crowd along the route, and probably less conflict because people couldn't get in in time. I completely understand the metal detectors that were there, but I really doubt the chances of someone taking a shot back then are even 1/100th of the chances someone would next week.