His commentary isn't the exonerating statement you seem to think it is.
By his own admission he sought to join the protestors (he went to the lounge on the 10th floor of Google’s New York City office around lunchtime to check out the protest) and spent an indeterminate amount of time talking with protestors the first time around (I talked to folks who were standing up, passing out flyers, doing other roles)
Anyway it doesn't matter if he spent 40 minutes talking to them, four hours talking to them or 4 minutes talking to them
By his own admission he sought to join the protestors (he went to the lounge on the 10th floor of Google’s New York City office around lunchtime to check out the protest) and spent an indeterminate amount of time talking with protestors the first time around (I talked to folks who were standing up, passing out flyers, doing other roles)
Anyway it doesn't matter if he spent 40 minutes talking to them, four hours talking to them or 4 minutes talking to them