Ya, the issue is not whether is spread the virus, it certainly did, it's a matter of net spread, and spread in comparison to reopening.
I doubt it had a net negative too, but I also don't think it is the main culprit to the current situation - which was a minimal lockdown and reopening too soon and too fast.
The other issue is can you find the protests as a statistically significant source of an uptick - that I also doubt. Logically we can say sure, but I don't think there is a way to prove that.