Two relies in, I drafted a reply about the effect of balloon releases on wildlife (sea turtles in particular) but cancelled it, thinking it irrelevant but it's been mentioned now.
The Belgian commemoration service featured a 1000 balloon release, also in memoriam but they'll hopefully come down on land.
I was reticent to suggest a racial element but, if the police officer's name is anything to go by then there must be a diverse mix there. Regrettably it is often the minority group who are on the receiving end.
By the way, how were the a**holes to know what the balloon was for until after they'd popped it?