Why was the Paris crowd searching for arms not only a matter of military preparation?

It was a political response to fear of royal repression

The governing concept is the political meaning of popular mobilisation during the outbreak of the French Revolution. After Necker was dismissed and troops gathered around Paris, many people feared that Louis XVI might use force against the National Assembly and the population. The search for weapons was therefore both preparation for self-defence and a public expression of distrust of royal power. It showed that ordinary people were politically aware and prepared to resist possible repression, rather than merely practising military skills. Thus option A is correct. A Church festival, a coronation ceremony, and the collection of feudal dues have no connection with the crowd’s actions around the fall of the Bastille. The episode linked fear, political protest, and collective resistance.

This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: The French Revolution. Topic: The Outbreak of the Revolution.