I don’t know how to say this nicely, but the expectation for attending a protest should be that you will get arrested.
Cops will use tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons and shields to push you to a strategic position, where they will beat and arrest you.
It’s called corralling.

If you see this happening, leave. Or if it’s strategic for you to stay, stay. But make sure you have a community looking out for you, that you have the local NLG number written in sharpie on your arm, and that you’re with your people.

Oop, another thing. In 2014, Alameda cops intentionally beat people across the lower torso. Where the uterus is. They also pulled corralled protestors down to bet them with over the shoulder strikes.
So before y’all head out ... know what is waiting for you.

Another name for corralling is kettling. Know these words! You can literally hear them say it over the radio, and you will know what to expect.
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If your goal is to avoid arrest, be on the look out for exits. Bridges are a no go. If you’re being pushed into a neighborhood, use side streets to get away from gas and cops.
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These people train for riots, y’all. They have strategies they use and the goal is always to 1) brutalize protesters and 2) remove protesters from the streets. That is why mass arrests are an oft-used tactic.