Will Bunch expresses what I've been thinking since Trump was elected. American democracy is under attack from within. The fascists who yearn for an authoritarian government in the media are promoting it, and the media who supposedly don't support it fail to recognize it. They are busy trying to follow the political playbook of the 20th century.
That bit, right there, is what totally changes the scenario from the person you were replying to. Presuming by "protect" you mean protecting from physical violence, and not only from words.
Words if used irresponsibly enough are a form of violence.