I think it would be fair to say that any counter-protest needs to be well-coordinated and resolutely peaceful in order to be fully effective.

But, when you have a mob seeking to intimidate and to threaten, one emboldened by the current political climate, it also seems like a blinkered response to say, "Oh, just sit inside and wait for them to get bored." Doesn't that kind of tacitly assume you have the luxury of not being one of the folks put under active threat? And then the implicit message inaction gives is: When you threaten minority groups in our community, we'll sit on our hands and let you, without even offering a visible counter to your hateful message.

Ultimately, rallies are expressions of a group's organization and potential power. The organization comes together first, for a reason, and won't just magically dissipate because you avert your eyes from it. I wish it were that simple, but in practice it just sounds like an excuse for letting hate fester in the public square.