In an interview, Johnson, who just completed his first year in office, stressed that safety would come first but that law enforcement would also focus on de-escalation tactics and commit to giving activists room to peacefully protest. He won’t tolerate mayhem, he said. 

“If people are in harm’s way, in any way or any form, I’m going to move with precision, as well as with constitutional policing and enforcement, to make sure that we are keeping people safe,” he said.

At the same time, when he was asked about overnight encampments like the kinds that impeded operations on college campuses, Johnson wouldn’t commit to clearing them.