Neither would I, as this would encourage rioters and ordinary criminals to arm themselves too. Yes, it's appalling behaviour and there seems to be a lot of s-stirrers living in Bristol at the moment, what with this and Coulson.
Trouble is , the criminals rioters etc know the British Police are a soft target. They wouldn't dare answer back to armed police like in the rest of Europe .
There is no time to control citizens with firearms. That's what inadequate uncivilised societies do. Having them as a reserve force when necessary is sufficient.
Anyway the precedent that police do nothing is already established. Pull down a statue owned by the community and throw it into the river and no one goes to gaol; plus the statue isn't put back but hidden away in some museum, thus rewarding rioting.
Water canons wont happen. No guns either. But maybe use tasers more for example those climbing on top of the police van. Its not possable to arrest everyone but a wish more should be done to isolate and pick out maybe twenty at each protest. force them to quaranntine in a cell while there tested and charge them with covid breaches and anything else that might stick. Maybe theyll be seen as martyr's but on balance it might deter quite a few.