Firstly, there will be no doubt that many fans will have turned up (inadvertently or otherwise) without the legitimate means to enter the ground. The supporting narrative is too strong for that not to be the case. The authorities have to respond to something like that on the spot. As things develop. Inaction isn’t an option. A strident response seems proportionate given the associated risk of not reacting.
If South Yorkshire Police had deployed the same approach as the French police on Saturday, then Hilsborough most likely wouldn’t have happened, as supporters wouldn’t have been let into the ground at that fateful time.
The safety of those in the stadium has to be paramount, and history has proven that one wrong decision by the authorities in that situation can cost many lives. That has to underpin any decision made on the spot.
Liverpool fans referencing Hillsborough in the context of Saturday night would do well to remember all the above.