When you look at the damage French protests cause vs the violence they incite in cops, it's relatively safe compared to the violence us cops perpetrate in retribution to completely peaceful protests in the us, or even just violence top bystanders in the US. Add in that French protests actually accomplish something and the risk benefit calculations are so totally different.

Protests are famously attractive for the kind of person who enjoys hurting others, on both sides. Difference is that only one side can hurt others while being protected by the system.