You post "both sides went looking for a fight" IMO has everything to do with affixing blame.  It implies, rather clearly, that the "sides" are equally to blame for the violence.  That may or may not be an accurate assessment.  But, clearly, it is an assessment.  Actually, I would agree that a protest sponsored by White Supremacists/White Nationalists protesting the removal of statues of Confederate leaders and met with the presence of anti-White supremacist counter-protesters just might see a "touch" of violence.  Anyone, on either "side", who attended the protest/counter-protest and didn't anticipate the probability for violence would have had to be extremely naive.  

This is an emotionally charged issue and protest/counter-protests are virtually guaranteed to escalate into violence.  I think this is a sad picture of the state of political/social discourse in America today.  Perhaps we can do better as we discuss thie issue.  Gary Crum