The rebels took armed action against French troops in garrison.
The real question is 'what would you expect a French commander to do in these circumstances?'
It seems to me that you are judging events in the late 18th century in a combat zone by 21st century standards. Historically, that presents both a false and a prejudiced viewpoint. The commanders' first responsibility is to ensure the security of his own troops. That's called, in modern parlance, force protection.
Or, are you just making yet another attempt to disparage Napoleon and blame him for everything that happened from 1792-1815?