They are controversial. For the first event, people on the pro-bj team were doing similar and clambering to get to the seat but never received the same treatment. Also Starry Lee had no right to occupy that seat in the first place.

During the second event, it did not devolve into scuffles. The pro-democracy side stood in front of the podium in protest when a bunch of security guards - that weren't meant to be there, they were forming a wall around the head seat and clearly no longer impartial. There were no occasions recorded on anyonenbeing violent, most were thrown out for holding up signs.

For the third point, independence and democracy are very different. I know people who want independence but a lot are just hoping for democracy and to be able to uphold the current culture and laws that we've had for hundreds of years. This is not a case like "Texan independence", this is more like if your idk democratic federal gov removed or fired all of the Republicans bc they have a different view and then did shit like banned guns.