Ironically all those guardsmen are getting a crash course on how to cripple a modern city. 30k guardsmen? How many folks were there on the 6th? a 10th as many could have held all important infrastructure and shut down transportation, helicopters are the logical choice then for evacuation and civilian arms can shut them down if you land a round in an intake or at the rotors base. Seems to me a siege was possible maidan style with a little extra flair.